Student-athletes face psychological barriers to seeking mental health support that go beyond general stigma.

As many as 1 in 5 athletes experience mental health concerns, but few seek support despite high stress.

Asking for help is becoming part of what it means to be a strong athlete.

College athletics demands a great deal from the people who compete: early mornings, relentless performance pressure, constant public evaluation, and the expectation that mental toughness is simply part of the job. For many student-athletes, asking for help feels like a direct contradiction of everything their sport has taught them to be.

Research consistently reveals a troubling gap. Despite high rates of anxiety, depression, and mental exhaustion among college athletes—one study estimated that as many as 1 in 5 experience some type of mental health concern—few seek formal mental health support.

To learn more about why student-athletes may resist seeking help, I spoke with Luke Stenson and Wyatt Porch, Division I athletes and co-creators of TheAthleteCheck, a mental health platform for student-athletes. They offer a firsthand look at what it feels like to navigate mental health inside a performance culture, and why that perspective matters.

When Identity Becomes a Barrier

For many student-athletes, the athletic role is not just something they do. It is who they are. Experts indicate that this kind of deep identification with sport can be a double-edged sword. Athletic identity can become a psychological liability when an athlete's sense of self depends almost entirely on performance. This risk is especially pronounced........

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