Athletics implemented the following initiatives to address the health and wellness of student-athletes:
- Developed an infographic of mental health resources, both on and off campus. The infographic was placed throughout the PE building and all athletic administrators' doors.
- Comprehensive mental health training was provided department-wide, covering topics like social media's impact, mindfulness, and mental health strategies.
- An anonymous mental health survey for returning and incoming athletes facilitated communication between the athletic training staff and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) concerning student-athletes' mental health needs.
62 student-athletes who completed the survey said they wanted more information on stress management, anxiety, and depression.
In order to support the student-athletes on campus, an interactive infographic was placed in every office within the department. The infographic shared information on mental health support for minoritized patient populations (multicultural, LGBTQIA+, etc.) and on-campus resources.
Intervention: Voicing student-athlete's mental health needs for the upcoming year to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) staff on campus in order to provide more appropriate services.
Almost 60% of the student-athletes have not used mental health services provided on campus. We need to be more intentional in connecting our student-athletes to all available resources that could be beneficial in their development.
We plan to continue to work with CAPS and have counselors speak at the Fall Eligibility Meeting so the student-athletes are aware of CAPS services at the beginning of the semester. Also, we plan to work with CAPS on programming specifically for student-athletes, addressing stress management, anxiety, and depression.