Mental health experts working to connect injured student-athletes with support system

PITTSBURGH — Healing from physical injuries often means overcoming some serious mental hurdles.

Avonworth Senior Greta O’Brien is no exception.

“I have a lot of back problems. I have two bones rubbing against each other,” O’Brien said.

She is no stranger to sports injuries and the mental impacts that come with them.

“It was just hard because I couldn’t perform to the best that I wanted to, which was really difficult for me, because I like to be able to perform 100% and since I was held back, I was getting really tough on myself and I didn’t really give myself any grace,” O’Brien said.

She said she leaned heavily on her own support system. At school, she turned to her coaches and her athletic trainer, working under then Avonworth Athletic Director Andrea Patton.

“Coming back from an injury is really hard for a kid, for an athlete. I’d say even more so, it’s having folks who understand that recovery process,” Patton said.

For O’Brien, that was the key to bouncing back from her injuries.

“I think being supportive and understanding that life is so much bigger than school and sports, and mentally it’s really important to take note of that and give some grace,” O’Brien said.

That is the message experts are passing to local school leaders at a symposium at PPG Paints Arena. They are working to bridge the gap between student-athletes and their support systems.

Dr. James Tew is UPMC’s Vice President of Medical Affairs at Western Psych. He says there are several reasons communication could be lacking, some of which revolve around the pressure to perform, or even specialize, in sports at a young age.

“Lots of kids who are participating in athletics in high school and college have mental health issues, but only about one in 10 reach out for support. It comes at a greater risk for those kids down the line,” Tew said.

While every athlete is different, there is often one big solution - simply starting a conversation.

“Conversations like this are so critical in shifting from being reactive to stress and anxiety and injuries and being proactive about preventing depression, anxiety and injuries,” said Tew.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW