USCB Mental Health Policy
Introduction:
Mental health is an important and often overlooked dimension of overall student-athlete health and optimal functioning. Mental health exists on a continuum, with resilience and thriving on one end of the spectrum and mental health disorders that disrupt a student-athlete’s functioning and performance at the other. Approximately one in five adults experiences mental illness in a given year, and this rate tends to be highest among young adults, many of whom are college students. Prevalence estimates of mental illness among college athletes are relatively similar to their non-athlete peers. The sport environment has both risk and protective factors for mental health disorders.
College athletes are faced with similar developmental challenges as their non-athlete peers and additionally must respond to the challenges and opportunities of collegiate sport.
Mental health is a key component of student-athlete wellness, and the athletics department can play a pivotal role in providing an environment that supports wellness while also providing resources so that student-athletes can obtain referrals to mental health services. At USCB our dedication to each student-athlete is to provide a holistic approach for their mental well-being. The goal is to assist with mental health issues before they escalate.
In the following document you will find information regarding mental wellness and the generalized steps to take in certain events. It is not possible to cover every plausible scenario in this document so it is important to understand some basic guidelines such as who to contact when there is concern for a student-athlete’s mental well-being.
Mental wellness: A state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.
Mental illness: Collectively all diagnosable mental disorders or wellness conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired functioning.
• Depression and anxiety are the most common mental issues affecting athletes.
Depression being the most common type of mental illness, affecting more than 26% of the U.S
adult population.
Early Warning Signs: Not sure if you or someone you know is living with mental wellness problems? Experiencing one or more of the following feelings or behaviors can be an early warning sign of a problem:
• Eating or sleeping too much or too little
• Pulling away from people and usual activities
• Having low or no energy
• Feeling numb or like nothing matters
• Having unexplained aches and pains
• Feeling helpless or hopeless
• Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual
• Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared
• Yelling or fighting with family and friends
• Having persistent thoughts and memories you can’t get out of your head
• Hearing voices or believing things that are not true
• Thinking of harming yourself or others
• Inability to perform daily tasks like getting to work or school
Signs and Symptoms that require Immediate Attention
o Thoughts or plans of killing or hurting oneself or others
o Hearing voices or seeing things that no one else can see or hear
o Unexplained changes in thinking, speech or writing
o Being overly suspicious or fearful
o Serious drop in school performance
o Sudden personality changes that are bizarre or out of character
Procedure: Student-athletes that have a concern about the mental well-being of a student-athlete or if a student-athlete reveals that they are dealing with mental wellness issues, should report concerns to their Coach or the Director of Sports Medicine immediately. Coaches who have a concern should report concerns to the Director of Sports Medicine. The Director of Sports Medicine will be the main contact and will facilitate care and communication with administration. The athlete should be informed that we are required to report conversation to an administrator. If student-athlete chooses not to talk to staff member, USCB counseling is an area that is not required to report conversation.
If student-athlete decides to talk with an USCB staff member, the following is a guideline for conversing with distressed student-athlete.
TALKING TO A DISTRESSED STUDENT-ATHLETE:
o Talk to the athlete in private
o Listen to the athlete and respond in neutral manner
o Remain calm and reassuring
o Ask student-athlete if he/she has thoughts of suicide. If they answer yes, refer to steps below for suicidal/self-harm risk.
o Validate the athlete’s feelings and experiences
o Be supportive and express your concern about the athlete’s situation
o Ask general questions but do not go into detail. You want to limit how many times the athlete needs to tell the story.
o Ask if there is someone that they would like to talk to and that they trust.
o Ask if they or a family member have ever had a mental-wellness issue.
o Contact Tana Turner Director of Sports Medicine, to inform her of the situation.
o Instruct the athlete to contact Counseling Center, Walk athlete to facility if needed.
o A report should be filed in sports medicine medical software of the meeting with the athlete and the details presented.
IF STUDENT-ATHLETE EXPRESSES THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE OR SELF-HARM
o Ask student-athlete if they feel suicidal or might harm themselves.
o Respond neutral.
o Do not leave athlete alone.
o Take the student-athlete’s disclosure as a serious plea for help.
o Ask student-athlete directly about feelings and plans
- Are you thinking of killing yourself?
- How have you thought about doing it?
- Do you have access to the means to harm yourself?
o Express care and concern. Let them know they are not alone, and you will help them get professional support.
o If the incident occurs during business hours (9:00 AM-5:00 PM), escort the student-athlete to the Counseling Center located in the Wellness Center, Bldg #502.
o If needed contact campus safety (843-208-8911) or local law enforcement (911).
o May also use SUICIDE HOTLINE 1-800-273-8255 when counseling center is not open.
o Stay with the athlete until care is given. If the athlete is not with you try to find out if someone can stay with them.
o After athlete has been brought to appropriate facility and care is given, document information in sports medicine medical software.
o ALL THREATS MUST BE CONSIDERED POTENTIALLY LETHAL.
Important Contact Phone Numbers and local resources:
- Department of Public Safety (DPS) Bluffton Campus: 843-208-8911
- Department of Public Safety-Beaufort Campus: 843-812-8186
- Department of Public Safety-Hilton Head Campus: 843-208-4911
- Suicide and Crisis Hotline: 988
- Veterans Crisis Line: 988 then (Press 1) or text 838255
- Community Crisis Response and Intervention (Local): 833-364-2274
- Hopeful Horizons (domestic violence/Sexual Assault) (Local): 843-770-1070
- National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE=
- USCB Counseling Center (weekdays 8:30am-5pm): 843-208-8375
- USCB Housing (RA on duty): 843-812-4074
- Tana Turner, ATC (Director of Sports Medicine): 704-807-8366
- Quin Monohan (Director of Athletics): 843-540-7145
- Genia Montford (Senior Woman Administrator): 843-540-9058
- Dr. Brandon Wright (Title IX Coordinator): (843) 208-8280
- Coastal Carolina Hospital (Local): 843-784-8000
- Beaufort Memorial Hospital (Local): 843-522-5269
- Hilton Head Regional Hosptial (Local): 843-681-6122
Getting Help
• REPORTING STUDENT OF CONCERN
o uscb.edu > campus life >counseling services> Student of Concern
o questions concerning student, contact Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Development, Deonne Yeager, at 843-208-8250 or deonne@uscb.edu.
Athlete Burnout
A syndrome of continual training and sport attention stress, resulting in staleness, overtraining and, eventually burnout. Many athletes experiencing burnout report feeling trapped by circumstances of sports participation.
Some signs and symptoms of burnout include:
• Leveling off or diminished performance or conditioning, including strength and stamina losses and chronic fatigue.
• Physiological signs such as having a higher resting heart rate and blood pressure.
• Cognitive issues such as difficulty in concentration, diminished work in school or forgetfulness.
• Illnesses as a result of suppressed immune system.
• Emotional issues such as disinterest, moodiness and irritability.
• Low self-esteem, increased anxiety and depression as a result of falling short of sport demands.
• The best method to prevent and treat athlete burnout:
- Rest
- Time away from sports
New and returning athletes
• Mental wellness will be noted in Sportsware file
- Each athlete will need to annually complete PHQ-9 questionnaire in Sportsware to access mental wellness
• Mental wellness issues will be communicated to the coach to ensure the best medical care and awareness.
References: NCAA Inter-Association Consensus Document: Best Practices for Understanding and Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Wellness (PDF)
