Mental health programs at WSU become even more critical during COVID-19

….."A lot of us see strength as being able to manage our problems on our own,” Braden says. “But the real strength comes from being able to say, ‘I need help.’”.....

…..Now student athletes face uncertainty about when and how they will compete, throwing off years of planning and disrupting training routines. They may be at home or live alone when they would usually have roommates and other students around to socialize.

“In this 18-, 19-, 20-year-old time, it’s a big transition,” says Kate Geiger, a clinical psychologist in WSU’s athletics department. “Folks will have feelings of guilt, worthlessness, difficulty with sleep. Sometimes people will think it’s a character flaw, that they’re not tough enough, that they’re not strong enough.”

In fact, these are common feelings for anyone.

“It’s really a very normal thing to have a hard time,” Geiger says. “Every human goes through periods of times in their lives when they’re struggling.”.....