Mental Health of Young Athletes

Mental illness is an extremely common and important issue among teenagers. Although sports and physical activity have tremendous mental health benefits, young athletes are not exempt from the ongoing mental health crisis.

In fact, some aspects of being a competitive athlete like perfectionism, external pressures to perform or severe injuries may increase the risk of mental illness. Improving mental health and well-being, on the other hand, can not only help make young athletes feel better—it can even have important benefits for performance and reducing illness and injury risk.

What's the best way to support your child's mental health?

The single most important things that parents can do is create a safe environment that promotes ongoing conversations about mental health for your child.

Some tips to keep in mind:

Assure your child that they can tell you anything, without judgement.
Recognize and communicate to your child that MENTAL HEALTH IS HEALTH. The goal is to normalize conversations about it.
Bring up the topic of mental health yourself, and make yourself available when your child wants to talk. (Consider sharing this "Teen to Teen" video reel, at right, to help spark discussion.)

Some symptoms of anxiety can include:

significant worries about things before they happen
constant worries or concerns about family, school, friends or activities
fears of embarrassment or making mistakes
low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence

Some symptoms of depression can include:

feeling or appearing depressed, sad, tearful or irritable
loss of interest in friends, academics or activities
changes in appetite and/or weight
sleeping more or less than usual; having more trouble concentrating
having thoughts of self-harm or even suicide

If you think that your child is struggling with their mental health, talk with them and help them to get help.

Encourage athletes to talk about with you or with other family members, friends and healthcare providers. You can also call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (9-8-8).

If you feel that your child is experiencing a mental health emergency (expressing an intent to harm themselves or others), call 911 or go to the emergency department.