This is a Difficult Subject But Needs to Be Discussed...

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, affecting individuals of all ages. A new study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine reveals a troubling increase in suicide rates among NCAA athletes, with rates doubling from 2002 to 2022. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among these athletes, following accidents.

Daniel Bellamy, associate athletic director for sports medicine at N.C. State, finds these statistics heartbreaking.

“You get into this profession and one of the things you never hope to experience is the death of an athlete."

He emphasized that Athletic Trainers must now also be equipped to handle mental health crises alongside medical emergencies.

The study, which analyzed 1,102 NCAA athlete deaths between 2002 and 2022, found that 128 were suicides, predominantly among individuals aged 17 to 24. Most suicides occurred at age 20.

Factors that contribute to mental health issues in athletes include:

• School pressures
• Performance expectations
• Time demands
• Injuries
• Athletic identity
• Physical fatigue 

Bellamy highlights the unique stressors faced by athletes.

“Specialization in sports can be an additional stressor because your identity becomes formulated and fixated around a specific thing."

When this identity is disrupted, athletes can find themselves in crisis.

N.C. State gymnast Emily Shepard echoes these sentiments.

“I feel as a gymnast, you’re raised in a sport that everything has to be perfect, and wanting to be perfect in every aspect can just be really disheartening sometimes."

Shepard, who has been doing gymnastics since she was 18 months old, acknowledges the challenges of balancing rigorous training with other life priorities.

Shepard has also experienced the pressure to excel and the addiction to success.

“I feel like I put so much pressure on myself in different areas, especially athletics.”

Shepard, who organized a mental health awareness week, is dedicated to supporting her peers.

“As a student athlete, we did lose a member of one of our own, and so, that was just really hard and that hit our community.”

N.C. State is enhancing support by increasing the number of mental health clinicians and integrating psychiatric services. They also plan to introduce suicide prevention training for clinical staff, coaches, and athletes. Bellamy stresses the importance of community in mental health care.

“Mental health is community health. It’s everybody’s responsibility to be knowledgeable and responsible for caring for other people."

As both students and staff work to address these issues, the hope is to create a safer, more supportive environment for all athletes.