VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Dr. Joel Brenner is no stranger to going into an exam room and talking to young athletes about their mental health.
“I treat young athletes of all ages, really, for muscleo-skeletal problems and also help from the mental aspect," Brenner said.
A study published in February 2023 in the journal Health Psychology Research found out of 200 high school athletes between 16 and 17-year-olds surveyed, more than 90% experienced some stress because of sports, and nearly a third who were experiencing moderate or extreme stress wanted, but didn’t receive, medical help.
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“It’s not necessarily that every athlete is depressed or anxious, but physical injuries do effect the mental side, so I think it’s important for us to be aware of that, to be honest about it and address it as best we can," Dr. Brenner explained.
Dr. Brenner has even developed his own mental health program.
"I developed about three years ago a mindfulness coaching program to specifically help young athletes from the mental health aspect of wellness, of performance, and other issues," said Brenner.
Christine Snyder is a teacher specialist for athletics for Norfolk Public Schools and says mental health is a big part of her work with student athletes.
“We’re really, in promoting awareness about mental health, really trying to break the stigma that surrounds mental health," Snyder said. "We really try to have a safe space for our student athletes to come and chat with our athletics staff about what’s going on.”
She said mental health is just as important for athletes as their physical health.
“If your mental health is not positive and you have things going on in that regard, it’s going to affect your performance," said Snyder.
"I think that having those programs such as what CHKD is essential to, again, breaking the stigma about mental health, promoting positive health and wellness."
The school district has a mental health check-in process for student athletes.
"Our student athletes check in on a daily basis in regard to how they're feeling that day," Snyder said.
Explaining the process, Snyder said student athletes fill out an electronic form with their name, e-mail address, what sport they're participating in, and then are asked on a scale from zero to four to describe how they're feeling mentally.
Anyone who responds with a zero or a one is immediately e-mailed mental health resources and athletic staff will be notified.
On Oct. 17 from 6:30-7:30 p.m., CHKD will hold an event called Talking To Young Athletes About Mental Health.
Athletes, coaches, parents, and youth leaders are invited and will leave with material to help have conversations about mental health.
If you are or someone you know is in need of help, you can call or text (988) 24 hours a day to be connected to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
