The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) today released the “2026 Update: Inter-Association Consensus Statement Recommendations for Developing a Plan to Recognize and Refer Student-Athletes with Psychological Concerns at the Collegiate Level – An Executive Summary.” The statement appears in the September Journal of Athletic Training, an NATA scientific publication, and is an update from NATA’s original 2013 guidelines.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among US college student-athletes.
More than 550,000 athletes participated on 20,000+ teams during the 2024-2025 season, so immediate and appropriate care to ensure their mental health is paramount.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among US college student-athletes.
More than 550,000 athletes participated on 20,000+ teams during the 2024-2025 season, so immediate and appropriate care to ensure their mental health is paramount.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
and observed globally on September 10
“Mental health issues can develop from stressful life situations and injuries. Psychological concerns may include depression, anxiety, eating disorders, burnout, violence, and abuse of drugs or alcohol, said Timothy Neal, LLMSW, ATC, CCISM, chair of the 2026 inter-association consensus statement update as well as the two prior NATA statements on psychological concerns in secondary school and collegiate athletes. “This Executive Summary provides a roadmap for sports medicine professionals to collaborate and determine the best care for the student-athlete faced with these challenges.”
View Neal’s highlight video on the statement.
“Athletic trainers play an important role in helping collegiate athletes navigate mental health considerations,” added NATA President A.J. Duffy III, MS, ATC, PT. “NATA champions these newly released and updated guidelines. We know they can help student-athletes manage and return to their prior quality of life and to safe sports participation. These recommendations can also help to reduce the incidence of more catastrophic situations.”
Topline insights include:
NATIONAL ATHLETIC TRAINERS’ ASSOCIATION Guidelines on Mental Health
Importance of the NATIONAL ATHLETIC TRAINERS’ ASSOCIATION in Student-Athlete Mental Health
Recognition and Assessment
- The biopsychosocial elements, including the influence of adverse childhood events and social determinants of health that the student-athlete may have experienced in the past or experience currently, must be considered as part of holistic care by athletic trainers, team physicians and mental health professionals.
- The student’s athletic identity should be factored into any injury that threatens playing time as it may necessitate psychological assistance and affect return to activity.
- Conduct pre-participation mental health screenings and provide referral for psychological services if needed.
- Consider administering student-athlete self-evaluation surveys in which suicidal ideation or other concerning behavioral considerations may manifest with the goals of maintaining communication and confidentiality.
Referral and Action
- Develop an in-house athletic counseling team in the athletic sports medicine department to provide efficient and timely psychological care and meet the needs of student-athletes.
- Create an Emergency Action Plan for student-athlete mental health emergencies and safe return to participation.
- Review the standards of care supplied by national organizations such as the NCAA and National Athletic Intercollegiate Association for student-athlete mental health concerns.
- Stay current on legal factors including risk management and general responsibilities and confidentiality protocols when creating a psychological concerns policy.
Topline Statistics:
- In 2023, among adults aged 18 or older, 22%-23% (58-60 million people) experienced mental illness in the United States, with young adults aged 18-25 (college-aged students) experiencing mental illness at the highest level of 33.8%.
- Among athletes, 23.7% indicated a clinically relevant level of depression, with 6.3% noting severe levels.
- The Healthy Minds Study of college students during the 2023-2024 academic year showed that 38% of students reported moderate to severe depression and 34% reported moderate to severe anxiety.
- Among NCAA Division I student-athletes surveyed between 2011 and 2017, the lifetime prevalence of any mental illness was 14% for athletes, 14.2% for males and 13.6% for females. Individual-sport participants reported a higher prevalence (17.2%) than those in team sports (11.8%).
- In 2023, 22.3% of surveyed student-athletes were at risk for depression, 12.5% for anxiety, and 8% for low self-esteem. Furthermore, being female was significantly associated with depression and anxiety.
National Organizations Endorsing the Statement
Alliance of Social Worker in Sports
Association for Applied Sports Psychology
Clinical/Counseling Sport Psychology Association
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation