Into the Fold, Episode 20: Sports and Mental Health

In recent months, a number of high-profile athletes, such as Brandon Marshall of the NFL, have opened up about their challenges and triumphs as people with lived mental health experience. With public interest in mental health issues at an all-time high, the culture of big-time sports is a promising site for a deeper conversation about the interrelationships among sports, masculinity, mental health, and the competitive pressures that athletes live under. Dr. Emmett Gill, professor of social work at the University of Texas at San Antonio, argues that the moment is ripe for athletes to take their rightful place as mental health advocates.