Only 10% of Struggling College Athletes Seek Mental Health Help

College athletes experience depression, anxiety, and psychological distress at rates 1.5 to 2 times higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, yet only about 10% of those who acknowledge struggling will actually seek help — compared to 30% of non-athlete students. A 2025 study published in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living found that 64.5% of varsity athletes reported elevated anxiety, 62.9% reported elevated depression, and nearly 60% reported problematic alcohol use. The consequences extend far beyond the playing field. Untreated mental health conditions in 18-22 year olds can become chronic. Athletes who develop depression or anxiety during college and never receive treatment carry those conditions into their post-athletic careers, where the additional identity loss of no longer being an athlete compounds the problem. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, and athletes face unique risk factors including overtraining, injury-related identity crises, and the abrupt end of their athletic career. The structural barriers are deeply embedded in athletic culture. Nearly 92% of Division I schools lack adequate mental health services for their athlete populations. The 'mental toughness' narrative — the idea that psychological struggle is weakness — is reinforced by coaches, teammates, and the competitive environment itself. Athletes fear that disclosing mental health issues will cost them playing time, scholarships, or their roster spot. In the NIL era, there is an added financial dimension: athletes with NIL deals worry that admitting to mental health struggles will make sponsors drop them. The NCAA mandates mental health screening but provides no funding mechanism to ensure schools can actually deliver treatment.