CERTIFICATION FOR COLLEGIATE PROFESSIONALS

The Eating Disorder Informed Professional course helps coaches, athletic departments, school counselors, professors and more develop tools to support college students at risk for developing eating disorders. To access this on-demand course, scan the code.

team could be displaying signs of an eating disorder.

It’s important to be aware that certain events can increase an athlete’s risk for mental health disorders, including a physical injury or a change in their standing on the team. During midterm and final exam periods, athletes face intensified pressure that also raises risk.

Getting Athletes to Accept Help

Providing appropriate care and resources for college athletes starts by understanding their unique identity. “Many student athletes are goal-directed and solution-focused,” Dr. Foulds Mathes says. “A savvy therapist will understand this and approach their mental health care from that point instead of taking a general approach.”

A great first step is to equate an athlete’s mental health with their physical health. “A lot of times, mental health issues will require individuals to take time away from their sport, so putting mental health and physical health issues on the same playing field is important,” Dr. Gooding says.

Once an athlete is identified as needing help, motivational interviewing techniques can help them open up—especially athletes who are ambivalent about approaching treatment. “It’s a method of asking open-ended questions—How has this impacted your life? How do you hope things will be different next season?—that helps the athlete explain in their own words why they want to get help,” says Dr. Gooding.

Virtual behavioral health services, such as Eating Recovery and Pathlight At Home, a proven virtual intensive outpatient program (IOP), can make it easier for student athletes to accept care. “With telehealth programs, athletes can get the help they need by just logging onto a computer or phone, no matter how busy their schedule is,” Dr. Gooding says. Another benefit: There’s more privacy around seeking care when you don’t have to visit an on-campus mental health services location for weekly therapy or IOP.

Breaking Down the Stigma

Providers, counselors, athletic directors and school administrators all can play a role in reducing the stigma surrounding mental health among college athletes. For example, when schools have mental health professionals on staff, it’s important for those providers to “show up in spaces where students are,” Dr. Fuller says. “Students should be able to see them in the hallways and visit them in their offices during drop-in hours.”

Student-led groups can also help increase awareness of mental health disorders. For instance, the student-run Duke Body group at Duke University focuses on body image and athletes. “It’s a liberating space for athletes to be their full selves, and we’re there for them,” says Chantal Gil, PsyD (she/her/hers), clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine.

The sooner adults who interact with student athletes recognize possible mental health issues, the better the outcome. “If we identify and treat symptoms at a subclinical

Support For College Athletes

Advocates For Mental Health In College Athletes

Morgan’s Message honors the memory of Morgan Rodgers, a Division I NCAA lacrosse athlete who battled anxiety and depression before dying by suicide at age 22. Morgan’s parents and friends founded Morgan’s Message to equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics. The organization’s goal is to normalize difficult conversations, empower those who suffer in silence and support individuals who feel alone in their struggles. Learn more: www.morgansmessage.org

The Hidden Opponent was founded by Victoria Garrick Browne, a former Division I women’s volleyball player and PAC-12 champion. The organization’s name comes from Garrick Browne’s 2017 TEDxTalk, which detailed her personal battle with depression and anxiety. Endorsed and supported by the late Kobe Bryant, The Hidden Opponent seeks to eradicate the stigma of mental health in sports culture. Learn more: www.thehiddenopponent.org level, we can prevent the progression to a more severe disorder,” Dr. Gooding says, “allowing college athletes to receive the support they need to improve their overall well-being, get back to their sport quicker and change their life for the better.”

1.The American College of Sports Medicine Statement on Mental Health Challenges for Athletes (Aug. 9, 2021)

2. NCAA Student-Athlete Well-Being Study, Fall 2021 (May 2022)

Eating Recovery and Pathlight At Home, our virtual IOP, was recognized as a best online therapy service by Health, Parents, People magazine and others. This leading program allows students to remain in school and active in athletics while they get the support they need. To learn more, visit www.EatingRecovery.com/AtHome or www.PathlightBH.com/AtHome