Ohio State athletes and medical experts reflect on the weight of school and athletics on mental health

Ella Gomez
Wed, 30 Mar 2022 03:07:23 +0000
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Experts at the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State are emphasizing the importance of mental health care for student-athletes. Credit: Courtesy of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Experts at the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State are emphasizing the importance of mental health care for student-athletes.?

Ohio State sports psychologists and psychiatrists have worked together to help Buckeyes face the challenges they need to overcome in order to perform well in and out of their sport, according to a press release.?

Student-athletes face many challenges with mental health, as pressure to perform at their best and demanding workloads are placed at the center of their lives. In the past year, multiple athletes, such as Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and former Ohio State offensive lineman Harry Miller, have come forward about their mental health struggles.

“The more people that come forward and normalize these things helps tremendously because they’re super common, whether people disclose them or not,” Josh Norman, a sports psychiatrist at the medical center, said. “Within athletes, there’s that athlete mindset of ‘We’re going to fight through this, we’re going to persevere.’ ”

There are many resources available to student-athletes struggling with their mental health at Ohio State, including two sports psychologists, two athletic counselors and Norman.

Trying to balance a collegiate sport with academics is a challenge. Sophomore tennis player Madeline Atway said the limited free time of student-athletes has the potential to cause a decline in their mental health, which, in turn, affects athletic performance.?

“Having to balance school and practice is really tough mentally because my stress levels are always high since I’m constantly trying to balance both,” Atway said. “It’s also really tough physically because sometimes I don’t get proper sleep while having to manage school at night, so my body doesn’t fully recover.”?

Mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, can also create physical ailments within athletes’ bodies if left untreated. Seeking treatment and learning about mental health issues will, over time, reduce symptoms, Norman said.

“The downstream product would likely improve your sleep, you’d have less muscle tension and your concentration would be able to improve,” Norman said. “Allowing you to focus better on competition, to focus better on your training and likely give you a better outcome in your sport of choice.”?

Norman also pointed to a possible increase in depression, anxiety or substance use following the retirement of athletes.?

“A lot of athletes in the college and professional level have spent their entire life around the identity of being an athlete, so retirement from a sport and the transition periods are tough,” Norman said.?

The transition from being in-season to out of season also can take a toll on student-athletes. Going from having school, practices and other priorities versus just having school changes the mental states of athletes.

Junior pole vaulter Luke Bendick said he finds it easier to manage his time and energy while in-season.

“While in-season, our lifts and practices are not as intense because we are trying to keep our bodies fresh for the next meet, so there is less of a mental struggle,” junior pole vaulter Luke Bendick said. “Traveling can also be relaxing, getting frequent breaks from being on campus and having school on your mind all the time. At a meet you are only focused on one thing, which helps with the mental stress of balancing school and sports.”