Student Athlete Mental Health: The Many Expectations, Challenges Faced & What To Watch For

Available with English captions and subtitles in Spanish.

A conversation with David J. Alperovitz, PsyD, and Suzanne Potts, LMSW, MPH, on supporting young athletes and the mental well-being struggles they may encounter.

Supporting Student Athletes Physically and Mentally

Educators, coaches, and parents have an important role to play in creating a supportive and inclusive environment for student athletes. A comprehensive approach prioritizes mental health alongside physical training.

In this talk, Alperovitz and Potts share real-world scenarios of the challenges faced by student athletes. They also draw on evidence-based practices to address these concerns.

Watch now to learn more about:

  • How the pressure faced by young athletes impacts their performance and well-being
  • Which mental health challenges are common among student athletes
  • How to enhance coping skills and reduce stigma surrounding athlete mental health

While one-third of people between the ages of 18 and 25 have mental health conditions, athletes in this age group face specific risks. Young athletes may experience sleep deprivation, nutrition concerns, and injuries. They are especially susceptible to OCD and eating disorders, conditions that have a direct relationship to anxiety.

For example, Alperovitz highlights the emotional stress of injuries on an athlete, especially once athletics become part of an emerging identity.

“Overnight, there’s this forced behavioral change because of an injury—the athlete can’t participate or practice,” he says.

Alperovitz explains how it’s a risky time for anxiety and stress to develop. “When there isn’t much other balance in the athlete’s life, it can be enormously difficult.”

Potts explains why eating disorders pose a specific risk to student athletes. “There’s a fine line [for athletes] between maintaining your body and stepping into an eating disorder,” she says. “Sometimes sports-related activities serve as masks for disordered eating or evolve into obsessive, compulsive, or anxious behaviors.”

In addition to facing the internal pressure to become increasingly stronger and faster, student athletes face enormous external pressure from parents, coaches, social media followers, and sponsors.

Alperovitz and Potts describe how these cumulative pressures develop in a short amount of time. They can be hard to catch.

The speakers provide the audience with warning signs to watch for, including behavioral changes, sleep and appetite changes, and impaired relationships.

They urge the audience to build a strong foundation of mental health for young athletes by promoting a culture of openness.

“If we can normalize [mental health challenges] as something that’s going to occur, we can begin to make more pathways to actually discuss it,” Alperovitz says.

“It is a part of life—certainly a painful one, but also one of opportunity for connection, support, and recovery. As a parent or coach, there’s often ample opportunity to talk about this in ways that are very relatable and powerful to student athletes.”

Audience Questions

  • What’s at stake for young adults who participate in athletics when it comes to their mental well-being? And what do you most want to impart today?
  • What are some of the more common mental health challenges one might see in young adults?
  • Is it sometimes difficult to differentiate “typical” teen behaviors from something more concerning?
  • We sometimes hear this notion that mental health encompasses much more than the absence of illness. What does that mean to you?
  • What is the distinction between clinical psychology that might involve student athletes and what’s often called sports psychology?
  • What do the trend lines look like for sports psychology and clinical psychology applied to athletes?
  • Do you think that clinical psychology is moving to address the challenges of athletes and others who are looking for peak performance?
  • What do self-imposed expectations look like for student athletes?
  • How would a sports psychologist delineate between an issue that they might help with versus something that a coach should handle?
  • What are some common sources of external expectations that student athletes face?
  • In what ways is the sports world a microcosm of the broader challenges that teenagers and young adults face? And what additional challenges does it create in terms of expectations?
  • Do you find that many parents and other caregivers put too much pressure on young athletes? And, if so, are they aware of that?
  • What role does team culture play in the mental health of student athletes?
  • What should we know about student athletes and name, image, likeness (NIL) compensation?
  • How can a coach balance driving an athlete to perform and making sure they’re not applying too much pressure?
  • What are some of the most common challenges to mental well-being that student athletes face?
  • What are some of the more common mental health conditions with which student athletes are diagnosed?
  • Do you find that substance misuse is a common problem for student athletes?
  • Many athletes face mental health challenges unrelated to their athletic pursuits. In what ways can participation in sports exacerbate those challenges?
  • Why is it that warning signs for mental health challenges often go unnoticed in student athletes?
  • What should we know about the work that Athletes for Hope is doing?
  • When it comes to spotting mental health challenges in student athletes, what are some of the emotional, physical, and behavioral signs to watch for?
  • Do you find that mental health challenges differ or present differently between male and female student athletes?
  • Any tips for coaches needing to balance taking care of their athletes with taking care of themselves, as well?
  • How can adults help student athletes remain passionate about their sport when it might feel more like a job?
  • Do you have any advice for clinicians working with athletes who are reluctant to deal with mental health issues outside of their sports-related challenges?
  • For some student athletes, being a star in high school or college is their identity. How can they best be prepared for life after sports?
  • What are your thoughts on how to screen for and address eating disorders among student athletes?
  • What mental health resources would you like to see more available for high school and college athletes?
  • How might coaches and athletic programs build networks of mental health resources to which they can refer student athletes?
  • When might it make sense for a student athlete to consider leaving a sport for their health?
  • Do you have any recommendations for helping student athletes navigate stigma that might be keeping them from seeking help for their mental health?
  • Any thoughts on helping student athletes gain perspective on life beyond sports?
  • What can student athletes do proactively to build good mental health?

The information discussed is intended to be educational and should not be used as a substitute for guidance provided by your health care provider. Please consult with your treatment team before making any changes to your care plan.

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About David Alperovitz

David J. Alperovitz, PsyD, has over 25 years of experience working at McLean Hospital, primarily with individuals with OCD, eating disorders, trauma histories, and dissociative symptoms. He is currently the program director of McLean’s Klarman Eating Disorders Center and an assistant professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

About Suzanne Potts

Suzanne Potts, LMSW, serves as the chief well-being officer at Athletes for Hope—a nonprofit that educates, encourages, and empowers athletes to find their passions and positively engage with their communities. She is also an assistant professor of instruction at the University of Texas, Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work.

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