Issue 1 Spring 2022

DERstroying
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
Written By: Rick Yang and Spencer Goh
Designed By: Alison Jiang
Competing in sports is a healthy and fun activity for people of all ages. After all, the benefits of exercise that come along with
participating in sports promote a positive attitude and a healthy mind and body. You might not normally think that athletes are
prone to mental health issues, but in reality, the stress and performance anxiety of playing a sport can sometimes be
overwhelming.
Mental health problems in sports are not rare. In fact, even famous athletes such as Naomi Osaka, a star tennis player, and
Simone Biles, a decorated Olympic gymnast, have sat out of major competitions due to mental health concerns. According to
the nonprofit "Athletes for Hope," 35% of professional athletes have a mental health crisis during their career. Moreover, a
survey found that around one-third of college athletes are struggling with symptoms of anxiety, such as difficulties with sleep,
one-quarter are feeling a perpetual sense of loss, and one-tenth have reported feeling so miserable that it makes their daily
functioning strenuous.
Athletes are constantly under intense pressure from fans
to do well in competitions, which could result in
performance anxiety: the fear that one’s ability to perform
during a game is inadequate. They may worry about failing
before the game begins, resulting in humiliation, rejection,
and possibly panic attacks. Typical athletes’ careers are
relatively short compared to other professions, so there is
added pressure to accomplish as much as they can during
their sports career.
This lack of mental health in sports is extremely
problematic; our current society is immensely focused on
physical wellbeing, but consistently fails to recognize that
mental wellbeing is just as—if not more—important than
physical health.
How can these devastating problems be addressed?
Fortunately, for athletes suffering from more serious
causes of mental health-related difficulties, there are many
licensed mental health counselors that offer services to aid
athletes in building healthier mindsets and overcoming
stress. But solutions like this cost money, and there are
many simpler methods that are equally effective.
These issues regarding mental health must be a
priority among all athletes. There must exist an open
conversation where people can share their experiences
with others to understand that they are not alone. For
younger athletes, parents should teach their children to
embrace vulnerability, prioritize mental recovery, and
ask for support when needed. Every athlete should have
their voice heard by someone, whether it be their
teammate, coach, friend, sibling, or parent. Every athlete
needs to train themselves not to disregard their issues,
as the risk of not addressing these issues increases
exponentially in the long run.
Unfortunately, mental health struggles are very real
and dangerous to professional athletes. Although these
problems can be traumatic, there are many ways to
treat them. Most importantly, everyone, not just
athletes, needs to pay close attention to their mental
wellbeing to prevent a mental health crisis.
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