My guest this week is Camden Dempsey, a sophomore at the University of Colorado, and a Division I football player. Camden talks about the demands placed on athletes and how it can affect their mental health. Regimented, Demanding, Fun is Camden’s description of what being a DI athlete is like. He talks about how coaches and players straddle a delicate line between mental toughness and the need for mental health support.
A recent NCAA study revealed that rates of mental exhaustion, anxiety, and depression continue to rise among student-athletes. When responding to mental health support questions, 69% of women's sports participants and 63% of men's sports participants agreed or strongly agreed that they know where to go on campus if they have mental health concerns. But when asked if they would feel comfortable seeking support from a mental health provider on campus, less than half of women's sports and men's sports participants answered that they would agree or strongly agree with that statement (48% and 46%, respectively). With pressures to perform in the game, as well as in the rest of their public lives, being an athlete can be incredibly challenging for a person’s mental health. Student-athletes have additional pressures to maintain their classwork and grades on top of practice and games. When athletes get hurt, they receive time to heal, but what about when those injuries are invisible? With young adults, especially college athletes, the statistics are startling: 33% of all college students experience significant symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions. Among that group, 30% seek help. But of college athletes with mental health conditions, only 10% do. Among professional athletes, data shows that up to 35% of elite athletes suffer from a mental health crisis which may manifest as stress, eating disorders, burnout, or depression and anxiety.
My guest this week is Camden Dempsey, a sophomore at the University of Colorado, and a Division I football player. Camden talks about the demands placed on athletes and how it can affect their mental health. Regimented, Demanding, Fun is Camden’s description of what being a DI athlete is like. He talks about how coaches and players straddle a delicate line between mental toughness and the need for mental health support. Camden shares show he manages the balance between academic, athletic, and social pressures and describes what kinds of support are helpful from teammates and coaches.
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