The recent release of the documentary “The Clubhouse: A Year with the Red Sox” on Netflix has brought attention to the mental health struggles of athlete Jarren Duran. In the fourth episode, Duran, a Red Sox outfielder, opens up about his past attempt to take his own life in 2022. This conversation has sparked important discussions about mental health among athletes, with experts hoping that Duran’s admission will help reduce stigma and encourage others to seek help. One of the most significant challenges in addressing mental health issues in athletes is breaking down long-held misconceptions and pushing through the ethos of certain sports. According to Dr. Eugene Hong, a sports medicine doctor and chief medical officer for Clemson athletics, the idea that athletes are less prone to mental health issues because they exercise is a common misconception. “Even though there’s much more awareness than there was when I started out, in my experience and my belief, we’re still battling that perception that because someone’s an athlete, no way could they be depressed, no way could they have thought about suicidal ideation, and that’s simply not the case,” Dr. Hong said. Duran’s revelation has rekindled the conversation, and experts hope that it will help athletes feel more comfortable seeking help and talking about their mental health issues. Dr. Mena Mirhom, a sports psychiatrist and assistant professor of psychology at Columbia University, emphasized the importance of providing mental health resources to athletes. “It’s a huge thing for him to come out and say this for a couple reasons. First, over the past 20 years, we’ve actually seen the suicide rate among athletes and student athletes double,” Dr. Mirhom said. Mirhom also highlighted the need for teams to be proactive in supporting athletes’ mental health. “Any time, a role model, somebody that you see on TV, who’s at that level, opens up about something that resonates with you, in this case, depression,” Dr. Tim Wilens, a child and adolescent psychologist, said. “It really destigmatizes it and helps you feel more likely to get to reach out for assistance, to talk to other people about it, and to see it as more normal human experience as opposed to something that’s inherently flawed in you that there’s no help for.”
Duran’s revelation has also sparked discussions about the importance of mental health resources for athletes. High-functioning, silent suffering is a common phenomenon among athletes, with up to 40 percent experiencing significant anxiety symptoms that they’ve learned to work with and hide. Mirhom emphasized that providing mental health resources can have tangible benefits for athletes, including improved performance and reduced risk of substance abuse. “Athletes, by definition, are high-functioning and prone to silent suffering. In the data we see, sometimes up to 40 percent of athletes could be experiencing significant anxiety symptoms that they’ve learned to work with and worth through,” Dr. Hong said drawing the link between improved mental health and improved performance can help convince skeptical coaches about the value of having psychiatrists and psychologists involved with an organization. “These mental health conditions if they go undiagnosed, can impact performance,” Dr. “Why aren’t we paying more attention to this because ultimately the athlete wants to perform as well as they can on the field or the court and the coach wants them to do that too. So it’s a kind of missed opportunity, if that makes sense, and we don’t talk about that enough in my opinion.”
Experts hope that Duran’s revelation will help spark important conversations about mental health among athletes and encourage more teams and leagues to prioritize mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, there are resources available to help. * Samaritans Statewide Hotline: Call or Text: 1-877-870-HOPE (4673)
* National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
* The Trevor Helpline: 866-4-U-TREVOR (488-7386)
Some teams are already taking steps to address mental health issues among their athletes. For example:
| Team | Mental Health Resources |
|---|---|
| Clemson Athletics | Psychiatrists and psychologists as part of the team staff |
| Red Sox | A directory of mental health resources for players, available through the players’ association |
While there is still much work to be done, experts are encouraged by the progress that has been made in addressing mental health issues among athletes. “We are moving in the right direction,” Dr. “Just as sports medicine doc, I want us to move a little faster in terms of providing mental health care.”
Mirhom also emphasized the importance of providing mental health resources to athletes, not just as a checklist item, but as a way to support their overall well-being. “On one hand, this is much better than it was 10 years ago because the conversation wasn’t really happening. Pro athletes, baseball or otherwise, we weren’t talking about mental health or mental injury at all. The progress is good. The advocacy is there. The conversation is there,” Dr. However, there is still a need for teams to prioritize mental health resources and to make them a substantial part of their overall strategy. “On an ideal team, when you’re caring about the whole person and making sure that they’re not just doing well as a player, but doing well as a person,” Dr. “You want the psychologist or psychiatrist to pick up trauma, to pick up susceptibility to substance use, to pick up the possibility where there could be suicide involved or major illness.”
Key Takeaways
* The conversation around mental health among athletes is becoming increasingly important
* Teams and leagues must prioritize mental health resources and make them a substantial part of their overall strategy
* Providing mental health resources can have tangible benefits for athletes, including improved performance and reduced risk of substance abuse
* There is still much work to be done, but experts are encouraged by the progress that has been made in addressing mental health issues among athletes
Support Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, there are resources available to help:
* Samaritans Statewide Hotline: Call or Text: 1-877-870-HOPE (4673)
* National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
* The Trevor Helpline: 866-4-U-TREVOR (488-7386)
Conclusion
The conversation around mental health among athletes is becoming increasingly important, and teams and leagues must prioritize mental health resources and make them a substantial part of their overall strategy. By providing mental health resources and support, teams can help athletes improve their performance, reduce their risk of substance abuse, and promote overall well-being. While there is still much work to be done, experts are encouraged by the progress that has been made in addressing mental health issues among athletes.