A new clinical perspective outlines how injuries, identity, and unequal access to care shape suicide risk for college athletes—and offers a practical playbook for prevention.

What’s new
A perspective in the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation synthesizes recent evidence on suicide and mental health in U.S. student‑athletes, with special attention to disparities by race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. The authors—Karrie L. Hamstra‑Wright, John E. Coumbe‑Lilley, and Eduardo E. Bustamante (University of Illinois Chicago)—translate research into concrete steps schools and sports‑medicine teams can act on now.

By the numbers

• In the first five months of 2022, four female student‑athletes died by suicide, drawing national attention to mental health in college sports.
• In fall 2021, NCAA survey data show athlete mental‑health concerns were 1.5–2× higher than before 2020—especially among athletes of color, those on the queer spectrum, women, and students facing financial strain.
• Reviews of NCAA deaths found suicide accounted for 7% of 477 deaths over nine years and 17% of 182 suddendeaths over ten years; rates were three times higher in men than women, with the highest rates in men’s football.
• Concussion and other injuries matter: a meta‑analysis of >700,000 people with concussion/mild traumatic brain injury linked history of concussion to ~2× higher suicide risk; teens with ≥2 sport‑related concussions had greater odds of reporting suicide attempts than those with one.
• Care gaps persist: in one college sample, >78% of racial/ethnic minority athletes reported a mental‑health need in the past year, yet only 11% used services; screening rates are lower for Black adolescents even though they more often endorse depression/suicide risk.
• Population context: in 2021, suicide rates were highest for non‑Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native people (28.1 per 100,000) and rose among Black (+19.2%) and Hispanic (+6.8%) groups since 2018, while declining overall among non‑Hispanic White people.

Why it matters
Athletes aren’t “protected” from suicide. Sport culture (pain tolerance, fearlessness), identity shocks after injury or retirement, and inequities in screening and access to culturally responsive care can combine to heighten risk. Most people who die by suicide see a health professional in the months before their death—yet routine suicide‑risk screening is still uncommon. Athletic trainers and sports‑medicine clinicians are often the providers athletes see most; that makes teams a critical front line for prevention.

What schools and teams can do (from the authors’ recommendations)

• Screen routinely for depression and suicidal ideation—especially after injuries, long rehabs, or transitions out of sport.
• Build a rapid referral pathway to licensed mental‑health clinicians and co‑create safety plans (including lethal‑means safety) with at‑risk athletes; monitor follow‑up.
• Invest in equity: educator and coach training, diverse staffing, clear processes to report discrimination, and family engagement improve access and trust for under‑served athletes.
• Normalize help‑seeking and mental‑health literacy across the program; avoid framing symptoms as a “motivation” problem.

Bottom line
Suicide prevention in college sports is actionable now. Proactive screening, swift referral and safety planning, and an equity‑focused culture can help athletes—especially those navigating injury or social adversity—get the support they need.

Source: Hamstra‑Wright KL, Coumbe‑Lilley JE, Bustamante EE. “Preventing Suicide and Promoting Mental Health Among Student‑Athletes From Diverse Backgrounds.” Journal of Sport Rehabilitation (Clinical Perspective; first published online Feb. 9, 2024).*

If you or someone you know is in crisis: In the U.S., call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or chat via 988lifeline.org. If there’s immediate danger, call 911.