Collegiate Athletes: A Case Study

One group took part in an aerobic exercise program, another was given SSRI, (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) which is a used as an antidepressant in many athletes struggling to cope with pressure. The third group was to do both of the programs together. At the 16-week mark, depression had lowered in all three groups. In fact, about 60-70% of the participants could no longer be classified as having severe depression (June 2009 Harvard Medical School). The groups scores rating on levels of depression were relatively the same, this suggests that for those who need or want to avoid drugs, exercise in a suitable substitute for antidepressants. Keep in mind though, that the swiftest response occurred with the group taking antidepressants and that it can be difficult to stay motivated to exercise when you are depressed. This shows how beneficial exercise can be when trying to relieve depression in athletes and social sport participants but this is not true for elite athletes as exercise is already a massive contributor to their lives, so although that exercise can help people suffering from depression, there is clearly other severe factors that are affecting an elite athletes mental

The negative impact mental health has had on student-athletes is a continuous problem across the globe and has been a topic of interest in the research world for many years. The stigma behind mental health have lead to symptoms of depression and anxiety, reluctance to seek help, the sense of helplessness and loneliness and many more. In a student-athlete, these stress levels are brought upon the individual for multiple reasons. For example, student-athletes have to accomplish a certain degree of success both on the playing field and in the classroom (A.P. , Deitrick, J.M. , & Reynolds, E. (2016). Maintaining a required average and playing time can become not only physically but mentally exhausting. This literature review will discuss the barriers and facilitators to mental health in student-athletes and how the stigmatization of those student-athletes who suffer from a mental illness have an impact on their everyday life.

Depression is a mental health disorder that interferes with the physical and psychological well-being of an individual. ‘About 1 in 5 adults have a mental illness in any given year. Mental illness can begin at any age, from childhood through to later adult years, but most begin in teen life.’ (Staff, n.d.) The stress of school and the expectation that parents have for their children is high. This can put a lot of pressure on students, it can effect their everday life, work and relationships. These issues can also heavily affect adults too. Its hard enough as it is for everday people to deal with depression but when you’re an elite athlete this can be a real problem. Athletes are at risk for depression as they’re in high pressure sporting events, there’s also personal and team expectations. Individual disposition may increase bouts of mental health issues in athletes. Also the media has a big influence in the lives of athletes and can be brutal to an athlete.

Many studies have been done to find the benefits of athletics in high school students in years past, but a more significant topic presently is the effect that it has on suicide prevention. Being a part of a team gives social connections to students that they can lean on for anything they might need. Whether it be for physical or emotional needs. Both teammates and coaches give moral support to each other during both in and out of season. (Benefits of Sports) For ages 10-24 and 12-18, suicide is the second preeminent cause of death in adolescents. (Youth Suicide) A study was done by a group of people to analyze the correlation between athletic participation and suicidal tendencies. The data used is based on the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey,

From the outside looking in, collegiate athletes live a life of luxury. They have the opportunity to perform the sport they love in front of massive crowds, and some are provided an opportunity for free schooling. Although this is undoubtedly true, outsiders are not capable of comprehending the true hardships associated with college athletics. Although they are granted acceptance and often a scholarship to their school of choice, they are not truly granted the opportunity to utilize their school’s academic resources to their fullest potential due to the immense amount of time that they are expected and required to devote to their sport. These activities include film review and playbook studies, team meals, traveling to and from games or

Student-athletes have a very difficult social life because of various responsibilities; many of those include doing well in school, exceeding expectations in their sports, and being a good role model for peers and other students.

According to James H. Humphrey, “Stress in College Athletics” there are 5 causes of stress among college athletes. 1. Academic Problems, 2.Athletic demands, 3. Time 4. Relationships with others, 5. Finances (Humphrey, 2000). This is one of

It’s the only time of year when one shot can make or break a team’s season. It’s the only time of year when athletes can be magnified into stars or heros. Millions of eyes witness every heart-breaking upset and every game-saving buzzer beater. It’s March and it’s madness. The National College Athletics Association (NCAA) makes "$6 billion annually and $1 billion just off of the men’s basketball tournament” (USNEWS). In 2013, the Louisville Cardinals faced the Duke Blue Devils in the Mid-West Regional Championship. Louisville, the tournament’s one seed, looked to be moving on to the final four when a freak accident slowed everything. Late in the game, sophomore Kevin Ware of the Cardinals leaped to contest a 3 point shot. While everyone in

At the same time, these athletes are gold mines; they are living something far from an ordinary student life. People have the perception of college athletes living the dream of playing their sport in school, and returning home to a comfortable lifestyle. The actual reality has been swept under the rug. For instance, Jason Perry, a Track and Field athlete from the University of North Carolina, explains, “College athletes are known to encounter unique stress factors that the general student population does not always face. Because of this, student athletes can be at a higher risk of anxiety and depression” (Perry 1). The unique stress factors that Jason is pertaining to are: money troubles, physical and mental issues, high levels of stress, and balancing being a student and an athlete. Comparatively, these kinds of struggles are similar to ones of someone who works a job. However, an athlete, unlike a worker, is not awarded a pay for their efforts and accomplishments. Athletes involved in sports work even more often than

These athletes had a great idea, but first they had to earn the right to become a union. The players had to go through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) The NLRB considered the question of whether football players on athletic scholarships at Northwestern University are employees under the National Labor Relations Act (Patterson). After 16 months of deliberation the NLRB dismissed the Northwestern players’ petition. It was dismissed because Northwestern football players were not employees under federal labor law and could not unionize because of it. (Mccann) Although Northwestern players did not succeed they still made great progress. Since they started the movement in 2013 and a lot of positive changes has come from this movement.

That would explain why some universities end up with state of the art sports facilities. Or why Duke Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski makes nearly $10 million per year, much more than the typical NBA coach. Or why in so many states, the best paid public employee is a basketball or football coach (Sportsusatoday, 2015). The NCAA is increasing its revenues every year. They get money from Universities, and Community College from the whole country. NCAA is making big money out of D1 Football games, D1 Baseball Games, D1 Basketball games, etc. The money comes from tickets, parking, food, drinks, jerseys, and implements to support the universities.

The collegiate experience of student athletes varies across the sports played, divisions, and grade level. Division one athletes are the most likely to be engaged in the college experience than other athletes (NCAA, 2015). One big predictor in the level that student engage in the college experience is whether they view themselves as an athlete or a student (NCAA, 2015). That decision holds implications from there on. Those who identify more as an athlete and less as a student tend to have lower gpa’s, and devote less time to their academic work than other students. Those that identify as students have an average gpa of 3.2, spend 30 hours on athletics, 40 on academics, and miss an average of 1.3 classes (NCAA, 2015). Those that identify more as athletes have an average gpa of 2.9, spend 35 hours a week on athletics, spend 36 on academics, and miss an average of 1.7 classes (NCAA, 2015). The amount of time spent toward various activities varies across different sports and the level of commitment they require. Despite this student-athletes in all sports generally commit large amounts of time to both athletics and academic endeavors (NCAA, 2015).

The collegiate athlete I have chosen for this assignment is my younger brother his currently on the track team at Oklahoma Baptist University. His ran track for many year, but the problem with this is it’s harder to make any drastic improvements. Some races he would improve by a couple tenths of a second, remain the same, or even get a slower time. Without continuous improvement I’ve noticed his self-confidence, motivation decline, and increase in anxiety when faced with equal or superior athletes. Feeling stagnant has caused him to get caught on a performance plateau. My psychological skills training program will be focused on helping him regain his self-confidence, motivation, and decrease competitive anxiety. Ways

It’s been a roller coaster season for us so far, we’ll go on these four-game win streaks, then lose two or three in a row, we’re just having a problem with staying consistent now, we’re heading in the right direction, we’re learning we just have to be more consistent on a game-to-game basis.

The impact of stress among college students may have a negative impact on the student’s psychological health. Research indicates that depression rates in college students have been increasingly rising over the years. In 2012, a study was conducted by the National Survey of Counseling Centers which resulted in 91% of the researchers found an increase in students with psychological needs. To resolve college students’ stressors, Surgeon General and additional research studies propose that students who are more active exhibit a decrease in stress, anxiety, and depression. In order to improve and retain a healthy lifestyle, physical activity