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Coaches or Student-athletes experiencing one or more of the following feelings or behaviors can be an early warning sign or a problem:
- Eating or sleeping too much or too little
- Pulling away from people and usual activities
- Having low or no energy
- Feeling numb or like nothing matters
- Having unexplained aches and pains
- Feeling helpless or hopeless
- Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual
- Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared
- Yelling or fighting with family and friends
- Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships
- Having persistent thoughts and memories you can't get out of your head
- Hearing voices or believing things that are not true
- Thinking of harming yourself or others
- Inability to perform daily tasks like getting to work or school
Source: Mentalhealth.gov
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Behavioral changes coaches and student-athletes should be mindful of.
- Changes in eating and sleeping habits
- Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
- Drug or alcohol abuse
- Gambling issues
- Withdrawal from social contact
- Decreased interest in activities that have been enjoyable or taking up risky behavior
- Talking about death, dying, or ‘‘going away’’
- Loss of emotion or sudden changes of emotion with in a short period of time
- Problems concentrating, focusing, or remembering
- Frequent complaints of fatigue, illness, or being injured that prevent participation
- Unexplained wounds or deliberate self-harm
- Becoming more irritable or having problems managing anger
- Irresponsible, lying
- Legal concerns, fighting, difficulty with authority
- All-or-nothing thinking
- Negative self-talk
- Feeling out of control
- Mood swings
- Excessive worry or fear
- Agitation or irritability
- Shaking, trembling
- Gastrointestinal complaints, headaches
- Overuse, unresolved, or frequent injuries
Source: Interassociation Recommendations for Developing a Plan to Recognize and Refer Student-Athletes with Psychological Concerns at the Secondary School Level: A Consensus Statement (2015)/NCAA
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