Oregon Ducks tackle mental health stigma during Student-Athlete Mental Health Week

EUGENE The Oregon Ducks athletic department is nationally known. From providing top-notch equipment, uniforms, coaching and staff to student-athletes, Oregon prides itself on creating a supportive environment for all of its student-athletes. A crucial aspect of their success goes beyond practice or the weight room; it exists internally: mental health.

Student-Athlete Mental Health Week is scheduled for October 5-12, coinciding with Mental Illness Awareness Week, October 1-7, and World Mental Health Day on October 10. During this week, Oregon will emphasize the importance of mental health, especially within the student-athlete community, where individuals must balance school, family, social life and athletic performance.

Statistics highlight the need for attention to mental health among student-athletes. 33% of all students experience significant symptoms of depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions. While 30% of that group seeks help, only 10% of college athletes with mental illness do so.

According to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, suicide is now the second leading cause of death among American college athletes, after accidents, and the rates have doubled in the past two decades.

“Mental health is huge,” Oregon Ducks center Iapani Laloulu said Oregon ducks on SIby Olivia Cleary. “We’re away from our family and friends, and we’re constantly working out and exercising. Right after practice you go to school. So mental health is important. I know there are a lot of people who are struggling with their mental health and might want to don’t talk about it, but it is important to create awareness. There are people who are willing to talk to us.”

Oregon is actively working to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health through a “Duck The Stigma” campaign. Student-athletes, administrators and psychologists within the department are speaking out about the importance of prioritizing mental health in the student-athlete community.

The Athletic Department and “Duck The Stigma” provide a variety of services aimed at ensuring the well-being of student-athletes both on and off the field and field. An important aspect of this is advising student-athletes. Two of the psychologists in charge are Dr. David Mikula and Dr. SH Moon. Dr. Moon will be recognized as the honorary captain in the Ducks’ sold-out game against Ohio State.

Dr. Mikula is the Director of Behavioral Health Services for Oregon Ducks student athletes. Mikula is a licensed psychotherapist who has been working with Oregon Student Athletes since 2001. He is familiar with the stress student-athletes experience because he was one himself.

Dr. Moon, like Mikula, was also a student-athlete. Moon was a member of the women’s basketball team at Lewis and Clark University in Portland, Oregon. She is the Associate Director of Behavioral Health and Sport Psychology for the Ducks athletic program. She is passionate about reducing mental health stigma and increasing access to mental health care for all athletes.

Moon was hired seven weeks ago as the University of Oregon looks to expand their team to meet the needs of all student-athletes on campus.

“There are student-athletes who are going through mental health issues and really need support and resources to deal with all the stress and pressure they feel as student-athletes,” Moon shared. Oregon ducks on SI. “They not only have to deal with the academic challenges and pressures that college life brings, but also the travel, the fear of failure, relationship issues, everything that a regular student goes through. Athletes have a lot more pressure because of the pressure to perform .” and to show up for the team and compete.”

Another Duck who works with Dr. Moon and Mikula to create a better community for student-athletes is Oregon women’s basketball player Sammie Wagner, a redshirt sophomore from San Antonio, Texas. Sammie is a member of Oregon’s Student-Athletes Advisory Committee, better known as SAAC. SAAC consists of student-athletes from all programs representing their teams, providing insight into student-athletes’ experiences and providing feedback on various rules, regulations and policies that impact student-athletes.

“Being a student and being at this age in life can be difficult in general,” Wagner explains. “Playing a sport automatically adds 80 hours to your week just by being part of a team, practicing, meeting, competing and things like that. At Oregon we also have a lot of exposure on social media .We have a lot of people watching us, people watching us make mistakes.

Due to the higher expectations and increased responsibility for student-athletes, it is important to destigmatize asking for help and obtaining the resources needed. That’s the mission of Oregon’s “Duck the Stigma” campaign, and so far it has proven successful.

Student-athletes from across Oregon’s athletic programs have endorsed the way the university has prioritized their mental health, especially during this time of conference realignment, when student-athletes must travel greater distances and often further from home.

“I live with three transfers, and I talked to them about how other schools they came from handle mental health care and all that stuff. And they said Oregon is way above standards in mental health care,” Oregon said Softball player Abby Mulvey. “We just feel like we have so many people on our side. So my roommates just said they’re amazed at the resources we have here as athletes.”

The University of Oregon’s commitment to mental health within its athletics department sets a positive example for other institutions. By prioritizing the well-being of its student-athletes and providing necessary resources, the Ducks not only promotes a supportive environment, but also contributes to the overall success and development of its athletes.