On one of the biggest stages of her career, the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles withdrew from multiple events. It was for a very good reason… her own mental health! Simone was accused of being weak, selfish, and a coward. Some applauded her courage for taking a stand for her own well-being. Others attacked her mercilessly, not understanding why she couldn’t just push through it. While athletes over the years have done the same thing, think Naomi Osaka, Ben Stokes, and Matthew Wolff to name a few, none were on a stage such as the stage that Simone Biles was on. And nobody else shined a spotlight on the issue of Mental Health like Simone Biles did.

Mental Health had become a hot button topic during the pandemic. But for those of us who is, has worked in the field of mental health; those of us who is, has experienced mental health on a personal level, it’s nothing new. What the pandemic did was expose what we already knew… that mental health is real, it’s serious, and it needs to be addressed. I believe one of the reasons why people still struggle with the stigmas behind mental health is that they confuse mental health with mental illness. The two are not the same, even though they are often interchanged. Mental health refers to a person’s state of mental, emotional well-being. Mental illness refers to a diagnosed condition that affects thoughts and behaviors, like schizophrenia or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For this post, I am referring to mental health.

The NCAA conducted two student-athlete well-being surveys in 2020 and conducted a follow-up survey in 2022. What the survey determined was that student-athletes continue to report elevated levels of mental health concerns. The data indicated rates of mental exhaustion, anxiety and depression, have seen little change since fall 2020 and remain 1.5 to two times higher than identified before the pandemic. In other words, mental health is still real, it’s still serious, and we still have yet to figure out how to address it effectively.

But for now, in this moment, I want you, the student-athlete, student, or reader of this post, to know that it is okay. There is absolutely nothing wrong with struggling with your mental health! In an interview, Simone Biles said, ”it takes strength to acknowledge that it’s okay to not be okay…” And you know what… it is! If you need help reach out to us, call the numbers below, or click on the link below! Next week, Part II will look at steps to take to help with your mental health.