BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – A spotlight is being placed on mental health and the resources available for people in need of support, including student-athletes.
The attention on mental health awareness comes during May, which is also Mental Health Awareness Month.
Because of the pressures faced by student-athletes, LSU has taken steps to ensure every young person gets the reassurance they need. Dr. LaKeitha Poole serves as the associate athletic director for sports psychology and counseling at LSU. She’s one of the people providing help for student-athletes, who she explained often face unique mental health challenges.
“When you talk about student-athletes, you’re really talking about high-performing young people,” Dr. Poole said. “And so, obviously in the collegiate space, there’s everything from adjustment to college life but also depression, anxiety, injury for our student-athletes.”
According to the NCAA, researchers conducted a study of more than 23,000 student-athletes during the 2022-2023 school year. The research showed mental health symptoms for the players generally improved since 2020 but remained at relatively high levels.
Dr. Poole said her team offers student-athletes individual counseling and therapy and keeps coaches and staff members educated about mental health and wellness. She said parents can also do their part.
“Don’t be afraid to ask the question. Like just to be able to say, ‘Are you okay? How are you doing?’ And genuinely wait to see what people say,” Dr. Pool explained. “We’re all so used to kind of moving so quickly that we don’t wait for people’s responses.”
Parents of collegiate or younger athletes can also watch for signs of a change in personality. Examples include if a young person becomes more reserved than normal or if he or she stops enjoying the things they used to like.
“That’s a good time to also check in and just maybe see if something’s changed, something’s shifted, or if they’re maybe not even enjoying sports in the way they used to,” Dr. Poole said.
According to Dr. Poole, student-athletes at LSU are provided with information about resources available to assist with mental health. She said that for young people who aren’t athletes, the university provides services through the Student Health Center. Click here for more information.
Anyone in need of urgent mental health assistance can dial 988 to be connected with a mental health professional. Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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