When former Ohio State center Harry Miller announced his retirement from football this month due to mental health struggles, I don't think this type of revelation was as alarming as it would have been, say, 15 years ago.

Miller is a member of Generation Z, young people born between 1997 and 2012. More research has come out on this age cohort regarding their inner battles with mental health, stress and anxiety. Gen Zers have been categorized as "the most depressed generation," according to a March 2021 study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and data from the American Psychological Association reported that only 45% of Gen Z consider their mental health as "very good" or "excellent." A 2019 report from the American Psychiatric Association found that Gen Zers were "more likely" to need therapy than previous generations.

With the heaviness of depression on Gen Zers well-documented, more of them are beginning to speak out about their need for therapy and other treatment, and their openness is lessening the stigma that has commonly hovered over individuals who have wrestled with mental health troubles. The NCAA has also been stepping up its game in recent years to address mental health needs. In 2020, the NCAA awarded $100,000 in research grants with a specific focus on the psychosocial well-being and mental health of student athletes. Its first mental health task force meeting was held in 2013. The mental health task force concentrates on a variety of issues that are linked to depression and other psychological problems that include the difficult academic transition some student athletes have from high school to college and the impact of injuries.

Miller having the courage to share how he was privately grappling with his mental health and being beleaguered with suicidal thoughts will help elevate the conversation and encourage more research. He has a strong support system in OSU head football coach Ryan Day and the university's athletic department. Miller is well aware of the negative stereotypes that have labeled Gen Zers as mentally weak, and he refuted these assumptions, stating, "I had seen the age-old adage of how our generation was softening by the second, but I can tell you my skin was tough." Football fans in Buckeye Nation definitely thought of Miller as tough when he was recruited as a four-star center in 2019. Expectations were high for the Buford, Georgia, native to be a firm anchor of the offensive line.

After playing in only two games last season, many were beginning to wonder why he was absent from the field. Some fans thought Miller was heading for the transfer portal and others assumed he had a lagging injury that was not disclosed. None of us knew, however, that when we had seen him play, he was, as he shockingly expressed on Twitter, "a dead man on the television set." Miller described the torment of his ordeal with a poignant gracefulness, as he talked about his box cutter, his physical and emotional scars, and his impressive 4.0 grade point average in Ohio State's College of Engineering. Sounding quite wise beyond his years, Miller touched on how someone like him, a gifted young man with an extraordinary future in front of him, could be tempted to give it up in one moment of desperation and hopelessness.

As I read Miller's testimony on Twitter, the comment that touched my heart the most was when he said that he did not know if God would forgive him if he expressed his anger. So many people like Miller who have been plagued with thoughts of suicide believe that God is angry with them, but Scripture teaches the opposite. I am reminded of Ephesians 1:7, which tells us that we have forgiveness of sins through Christ according to the riches of His grace. One of my favorite passages detailing God's compassion is Psalm 34:18, which says that God is close to those who have a "broken heart" and a "contrite spirit," with contrite meaning those who literally feel crushed in life.

It is truly a blessing that Miller did not get crushed by the heavy weight of his burdens, and his genuine transparency will help many of his peers who are experiencing the same despair.

Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at smojc.jj@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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