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Student Athletes Mental Health Issues

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Mental Health: An Issue Among Student-Athletes Stress has been an increasing issue regarding not only college students, but also student-athletes. Imagine the workload of any normal college student. Then imagine on top of academics, playing a sport which occupies the remaining available time within your day and weekend. This is the life of a student-athlete. Many student-athletes are able to handle the schedule and pressure that one faces in the collegiate environment, but some cannot. On a day-to-day basis student athletes are required to maintain a healthy balance between their respective sport and their schoolwork, which is difficult. A typical student-athlete schedule includes waking up early, attending classes, going to practice, lifting, …show more content…

According to an author for the American Psychological Association, Kirsten Weir, stress impacts the production of hormones and the functioning of the immune system (Weir). A recent study conducted by Emory University School of Medicine found that the inflammatory immune response, impacted by stress, “has also been linked to a variety of bodily ills, from diabetes and heart disease to depression” (Weir). Margot Putukian, a member of the NCAA Education Outreach, has noticed the impacts of stress on student-athletes and believes the primary concerns, regarding the prevalence of mental illness within the population of student-athletes, are the effects mental illness brings to their success in academics, athletics, and their general well-being (Putukian). Balancing the demands of being an athlete and a student places a large amount of pressure on the individual. This balancing act leads to many health issues affecting student athletes across many components of their life …show more content…

Social involvement presents a large amount of stress on college students, but also largely on student-athletes. Student-athletes have a solid base of friends, their teammates. They are with their teammates almost every day for extended periods of time. Between workouts, practice, travel time, hotel rooms, and competitions, the majority of their time spent, is together. Although they have a solid base of friends, student-athletes tend to struggle in other social

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