Columbia Hosts NCAA Mental Health Forum

....Lieberman spoke about the various reasons student-athletes experience mental illness and the fact that many times illnesses go untreated due to fear and social stigma. He provided various examples and said that mental illness is among the most diagnosable among all illnesses as treatments are readily available. It is the breakdown of attitudes in society that is needed in order to provide athletes assistance.....
....“As coaches, we need to be in a positive mental state when we coach and lead our student-athletes,” Slatter said. “If we are not in a good mind-state, it can be very difficult. You want to help guide your athletes to be successful not only on the track but in life as well. You have to make time for yourself and being in the right mental state will help guide you to become a better coach. Our mental state has an impact on our athletes. It’s our job to make sure they’re in the right mind-state.”....   ...more

Bethany`s Notes: A great Q &A session at Columbia University regarding mental athlete both for athletes, coaches, and other supporting roles. There are many people on board with the desire to help those who come forward. Coaches have a huge influence on making sure their athletes feel safe to come forward if they are dealing with a mental health problem.