Presentation conducted by Health Services personnel, Malinda Shell, and I on January 26, 2011. Presented to coaches of various sports programs at Valley Football Center, Oregon State University
1. Mental HealthFor the Student Athlete Marcus Sharpe Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Malinda Shell Student Health Services (SHS)
2. Objectives To define mental health To help coaches recognize: When mental health declines Mental health’s affects on athletic performance When to encourage an athlete to seek help To increase awareness of the mental health programs and services that are available to student athletes
29. Mental Health forStudent Athletes at OSU Knowing a player’s… BLF or Baseline Level of Functioning
30. BLF/Stress (defined) BLF is defined as the ability of an individual to engage in day-to-day activities (academics, athletics, social, etc.) while being minimally impacted by various forms of stress from your environment. Stress is often external, looks different from what other OSU students might experience, and is frequently beyond your control.
31. BLF Activity Stand up Loosen up Never mind what you look like Stay focused on what you’re doing Go back to feet if you get lost! Go Back To Feet If You Get Lost!! GO BACK TO FEET IF YOU GET LOST!!!
32. When Mental Health Declines…. Sleep disturbances (too much or too little) Feel overwhelmed Get behind in school work Procrastination Overcompensation Cranky and irritable Stress and pressure Lack of concentration Can’t shut mind off Out of balance Drop the ball
33. Life as a college student Transitions New environment Homesickness Lack of a schedule No parents
34. And then there’s……. In season/off season Erratic schedules Dealing with wins and losses Injury Lack of PT Overtraining syndrome Can lead to risky behaviors
35. Which results in……. Distraction Lack of concentration Less alert Slower response time Poor decisions Poor eating habits Sleep disturbance Decreased motivation Negative thinking Fatigue
36. Injury A student athlete who is experiencing mental health problems is “injured” just as if they had a physical or medical problem Mental health problems, if not treated, can affect athletic performance and limit or even preclude training and competition until managed or treated
37. OSU Student Athletes Felt things were hopeless (52.8%) Felt overwhelmed (85.7%) Felt exhausted (72.8%) Felt lonely (55.7%) Felt very sad (62.8%) Felt overwhelming anxiety (45.7%) Higher rates than the regular student population National College Health Assessment (NCHA) data, 2010
38. OSU Student Athletes Also experiencing the following at a higher rates as well: Depression Anger Thoughts of suicide Intentional injury to self Homesickness Relationship difficulties
39. Coaches Coaches should be involved in identifying mental health problems because you: Are in an ideal position to identify when your student-athletes are having difficulty because you spend so much quality time with them Have considerable power and influence with your student-athletes that can increase the likelihood your student-athletes will receive timely and effective treatment
40. Coaches Coaches should be involved in identifying mental health problems because you: Can minimize by early detection the effects of the disorder on your student athletes’ health and performance Can recommend prompt treatment to decrease your student-athletes’ time away from training and competition.
41. How to help The most serious mistake that anyone can make in (mis)managing a student-athlete with a mental health problem is to respond as if the problem is trivial or a sign of weakness Your main job is to assist the student in getting to the right health care provider
42. How to help If the student approaches you: Stop what you are doing, look at the person, and listen. Listening is the most important part of communication. It is hard to talk and listen at the same time. If you listen well, you will know when to speak and what to say. Accept what you are given.
43. How to help If the student approaches you: Ask questions for clarification without judging. When it appears the person has finished talking, ask if there is anything else he/she needs to say. Indicate that you are glad he/she came to you and that you want to help. Make the necessary referral and encourage/support its acceptance
44. How to help The student hasn’t come to you Approach the individual privately Sensitivity is a key in facilitating the discussion. Begin by saying that you are concerned about the individual’s welfare and would like to help.
45. How to help The student hasn’t come to you Ask how he or she is feeling, and how school, practice and games are going. Tell the student-athlete that you need to make sure he or she is okay and you would like him or her talk with a healthcare professional and that you would like to help arrange the appointment.
46. Knowing your limits To avoid the student-athlete’s difficulties weighing too heavily on you, you need to know your limits. Be aware of what is reasonable to expect from yourself. You cannot change the person because you have limited control.
47. Knowing your limits Your responsibility is to recognize and refer. When you begin to feel undue stress or worry, it is time to take care of yourself and turn the problem over to someone else. Managing Student-Athletes’ Mental Health Issues http://www.ncaa.org/
48. Getting Help @ OSU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Health Coaching Student Health Services
49. Health Coaching Health Advising Goal setting Tips/strategies Individualized Plan Referrals Continued support
50. For example: Stress Management Stress Assessment Choose Your Relaxer Scheduling/Time management Procrastination Plan Deep Breathing Guided Imagery Progressive muscle relaxation
51. A few more points about Health Coaching…… Completely confidential Student-driven Support Dedicated practitioners for student athletes Starting Point Meet @ Dixon Outside perspective malinda.shell@oregonstate.edu 737-2776
54. Counseling andPsychological Services (CAPS) All consultations are: Free Confidential Last 45-50 minutes Non-committal Solution focused Target return to BLF
55. Counseling andPsychological Services (CAPS) Couples counseling that is designed to strengthen communication and improve problem solving techniques
56. Counseling andPsychological Services (CAPS) Group counseling can be another way to help student-athletes return to their BLF… (e.g., Managing ADHD, SMART Recovery, etc.)
58. Counseling andPsychological Services (CAPS) Not everyone who experiences stress needs to see a counselor. For some, simply remembering the four P’s could be all that’s need… Passion People Pleasure Purpose
59. Counseling andPsychological Services (CAPS) For those who have tried to “go it alone” but still feel like they’re suffering in silence… Snell Hall, 5th Floor (541) 737-2131
62. In closing… Let us help you optimize your athletic performance Identify healthy ways to cope with stress Return to your BLF We can help you keep your balance and NOT drop the ball…
63. Questions??? Marcus Sharpe Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) marcus.sharpe@oregonstate.edu Malinda Shell Student Health Services (SHS) malinda.shell@oregonstate.edu
Notas do Editor
How do YOU know when Mental health declines?These are some of the things your peers mentioned as symptoms that things were going downhill
Injury – students who experience an injury can get depressed; their self esteem and identity may be negatively affected by their inability to do the thing they do best and enjoy the most.Overtraining syndrome – “staleness” sometimes follows heavy training and can include physical and psychological symptoms
And some of the things your peers mentioned earlierCan lead to depression and risky behaviors such as an eating disorder or alcohol and drugAnd hopefully you guys can see how these things might affect your athletic performanceMind-Body ConnectionMedical problems have psychological or emotional problemsPsychological problems typically have medical consequencesOverly stressed or depressed students are more susceptible to injury
Student Health Services surveys OSU students every two years. This year we separated out the responses of students who identified as student athletes from those of the regular student populationJust to give you an idea about what your students are experiencing…….Experienced these things at a higher rate than the general populationOther things they are experiencing at a higher rate: Depression, anger, suicide, intentional injury to self, homesickness and relationship difficulties as well
Even if you cannot understand the seriousnessor difficulty of the student-athlete’sproblem, you must accept that it is aserious problem for that individual.Depressive disorders, anxiety disorders,eating disorders and substance-relateddisorders are mental health problems inneed of treatment. They are illnesses —not choices; that is why they are calleddisorders. Individuals with mental healthproblems are not weak.
It is best to approach the individual privately to decrease the likelihood of embarrassment and to avoid any other activity that might distract you or the student-athlete.Hopefully, this approach will allow the student-athlete the opening to talk with you about his or her difficulties. If so, follow the same recommendations discussed previously regarding when the individual comes to you. If the student-athlete resists, you should say that you simply want to arrange an evaluation to determine if there is a problem. Tell the student-athlete that you hope that the evaluation determines that he or she does not have a problem, and if that is the case, then we can all breathe a sigh of relief and go on with our lives. The student-athlete should be told that if the professional’s evaluation indicates that a problem exists, then the professional will discuss treatment options.
It is best to approach the individual privately to decrease the likelihood of embarrassment and to avoid any other activity that might distract you or the student-athlete.Hopefully, this approach will allow the student-athlete the opening to talk with you about his or her difficulties. If so, follow the same recommendations discussed previously regarding when the individual comes to you. If the student-athlete resists, you should say that you simply want to arrange an evaluation to determine if there is a problem. Tell the student-athlete that you hope that the evaluation determines that he or she does not have a problem, and if that is the case, then we can all breathe a sigh of relief and go on with our lives. The student-athlete should be told that if the professional’s evaluation indicates that a problem exists, then the professional will discuss treatment options.
Some of these kind of sound a little woo woo. But I figured you guys of all student athletes would “get” the breathing and guided imagery.With the “breathing through the eyelids” (Bull Durham( and the need to “clear the mechanism” (For the Love of the Game) and those types of things…..Lots of elite athletes use meditation and guided imagery to enhance performanceBut if you are experiencing difficulties with stress I can run you through some of these techniques right in the office