#JamesDonaldson On #MentalHealth – Despite Benefits Of #Sport Participation For #Women #StudentAthletes, Human Risks Of #Suicide Persist

Alisia Tran

WHY THIS MATTERS

For all the known #mentalhealth protective factors that #women #studentathletes may have going for them – the social support of an #athletic community, exercise and leisure activity engagement, and so on – #women #studentathletes are not immune to the high risk for #suicide concerns that plague other young #women #college #students.

An unfortunate reality in #sport is that the rate of #studentathlete #suicides is alarmingly high and has been for some time. #Women #studentathletes are especially at risk. Stanford soccer player #KatieMeyer, University of Wisconsin runner #SarahShulze, and James Madison University softball player Lauren Bernett are all #women #studentathletes whose deaths by #suicide made headlines in 2022. Unfortunately, they are not isolated cases. I am an #athlete #mentalhealthresearcher and licensed #psychologist, and I am concerned about this situation.

#Suicide deaths among #women #studentathletes should be striking for a number of reasons. First and foremost, these deaths are tragic. They are generally preceded by anguish and suffering on the part of the #studentathletes who commit #suicide. In fact, suicidality (i.e., thinking about or making plans to attempt #suicide and/or actually attempting #suicide) is labeled by #mentalhealthprofessionals as being in “#mentalhealthcrisis.” The tragedy of these deaths ultimately extends into anguish and suffering by the loved ones, teams, and communities of these #women #studentathletes. In short, suicidality and #suicides are marks of human suffering by those directly and indirectly impacted.

Secondarily, these deaths should send shockwaves because we do not typically think about young, physically fit #women as dying. Further still, the #CDC regards #suicide as preventable. Yet #suicide is the second-leading cause of death for #college #students, and approximately one in 10 #college #students nationally report seriously considering #suicide. In my own analysis of data from large-scale, national surveys of #college #students, I generally have found rates of suicidality among #women #studentathletes (and #studentathletes generally) that approximately match the also-high rate that is typically found in the general #college #student population. Certainly, there appear to be some sport- and athlete-specific factors that place #women #studentathletes at heightened risk for suicidality, including histories of concussions or injuries that restrict participation. Largely, though, the evidence points to the “usual suspects” of risk factors for suicidality among #women #studentathletes, such as depression and other mental health concerns, low #self-esteem, poor social support, relationship challenges, history of trauma or abuse, or family history of #suicide.

Thus, from every possible angle, #women #studentathletes are not at all extraordinary with regard to suicidality rates and risks. In that ordinariness lies the concern, because #women #studentathletes are among groups (e.g., #women, #college #students) that are at far too great a risk for #suicide. That is, for all the known #mentalhealth protective factors that #women #studentathletes may have going for them – the social support of an athletic community, exercise and leisure activity engagement, and so on – these #women #studentathletes are not immune to the high risk for #suicide concerns that plague other young #women #college #students. Thus, we have to see #women #studentathletes for who they are: humans.

Emphasizing #women #studentathletes as humans has implications for #sports stakeholders’ responsibilities. #Women #studentathletes need to see themselves not only as humans who will struggle, sometimes to a significant or overwhelming degree, but also as humans who can have healthy reactions to #stress and hardship. One of the most commonly recommended healthy reactions to suicidality is going to #mentalhealththerapy. #Mentalhealthcare provided by a qualified licensed clinical practitioner (e.g., #psychologist, #psychiatrist, #counselor) is among the best practices identified by the #NCAA for addressing #studentathlete #mentalhealthconcerns, which may include suicidality as well as its precursors (e.g., depression). Being connected with #mentalhealthprofessionals can help in the processes of identifying signs and risks for #suicide and getting help when in #mentalhealthcrisis.

Unfortunately, research has found that only a small proportion of #studentathletes who acknowledge having a #mentalhealth need actually receive #mentalhealthservices. Some research has found that as few as one in 10 #studentathletes receive needed #mentalhealthservices. #Studentathlete time and resource allocations need to be reevaluated to ensure access and utilization of #mentalhealth care among #women #studentathletes.

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com

A paradigm shift is needed in the way #athletes are trained to handle their #mentalhealth. Addressing one’s #mentalhealth and #suiciderisk does not have to be about “sucking it up” or “getting back in the game.” It can involve acting as a human and taking care of ourselves as humans. A starting point might be looking up and making an appointment at the campus health or counseling center, or identifying off-campus resources by calling 1-800-662-HELP (4357), or going to findtreatment.gov (free, 24-hour-a-day information services for individuals and family members facing mental and/or #substanceusedisorders that provide referrals to local treatment facilities/providers, support groups, and community-based organizations).

Responsibility also rests with athletic and academic institutions to see the humanness of being a #studentathlete when evaluating and reevaluating their responses and resource allocations to #athlete #mentalhealthconcerns, with special attention paid to the unique needs of #women #studentathletes. Within the approximately $15 billion industry that is #NCAA Division I athletics, for instance, all too often the messaging is that there are not enough resources available to identify and intervene in their #mentalhealthconcerns, let alone provide specialized attention to #women #studentathletes as part of a #minority #gender group at elevated risk for suicidality. Indeed, a mere 1% of #NCAA Division I expenditures goes toward #studentathlete medical expenses and medical insurance, which could cover #mentalhealthcare. And only about one in four #NCAA Division I #athleticdepartments was identified as having #mental performance and/or #mentalhealthservices in a recent independent analysis. There is room to improve here. I would contend that the human responsibility for academic and athletic organizations is to see themselves as stewards of #studentathlete well-being in the processes of improving #studentathlete #mentalhealthcare.

Responsibility also rests with us. If we could view #women #studentathletes as humans vulnerable to #mentalhealth needs and suicidality, then each of us as fellow humans must think about how we respond to these #women in our direct interactions with them, as well as in our relations to them in public and societal spheres. One thing all of us can do to make a positive contribution is to reduce the #stigma surrounding having a #mentalhealthissue and needing #mentalhealthcare. The world of #sports is one in which players’ errors are tallied and recorded and sometimes even spread across #socialmedia. To offset this “what’s wrong with you?” mentality, phrases such as “I am worried about how you are doing” or “I care about you,” can start conversations that let our loved ones who we are worried about (#studentathletes and otherwise) know that there is nothing wrong with needing help. Such statements may spark the opportunity to provide the 24/7 number for the free national #988Suicide&CrisisLifeline (which has phone and chat options available).

Even for those of us who do not have direct interactions with #women #studentathletes, there are opportunities for all of us to help shift the culture around #mentalhealth and #women’s #sports. Recently, #NCAA policy changed to allow #studentathletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), which has placed a spotlight on a number of #women #studentathletes. #Socialmedia stars like Louisiana State University gymnast Olivia “Livvy” Dunne and LSU #basketball player Angel Reese, have capitalized financially on their NILs through endorsements and heightened #socialmedia prominence. They do so while maintaining themselves as accomplished #athletes who have made it to the highly competitive stage of #college #athletics while meeting academic eligibility requirements. Dunne, for instance, has had a meritorious academic record, including placing on the academic honor roll multiple times while at LSU.

These are whole #women. Humans. Their images provide opportunities to discuss and celebrate #women athletes for all their varied accomplishments – a nailed landing, a championship victory, a personal record, a great grade, making honor roll, earning a scholarship, signing an endorsement, being a good teammate, etc. Building positive discourses and cultures about #girls’ and #women’s images is important in the context of #suicide and #mentalhealth because image issues, including low #self-esteem and body image issues, have been shown to specifically affect #girl and #women #studentathletes’ #mentalhealth.

#Suicide is preventable. These deaths do not have to happen if there is some intervention to stop them. I have been in the #mentalhealth field for more than 20 years, and I have watched as #suicide has remained a top-three leading cause of death for young people like #studentathletes year after year. We have not done enough to address the issue of #suicide, and #women #studentathletes are among the victims of this failure. While #women #studentathletes may do exceptional things, sadly, they are no exception to suicidality risk, and more needs to be done to prevent more deaths by #suicide.

• If you or someone you know is in immediate #mentalhealth danger, please call #911 or go to the nearest #emergencyroom.
• Visit the #988 Lifeline or call #988 for the national #Suicide&CrisisLifeline (24/7, free #mentalhealthsupport).