Mental Health Awareness Week Kicks Off Saturday

Mental Health Matters. It’s OK to not be OK. You’re not alone. They’re all slogans you might have heard in connection with mental health, and South Carolina Athletics wants to remind you that resources are out there if you need help, including a great deal of services for student-athletes and staff.

Student-Athlete Mental Health Awareness Week kicks off the weekend. In addition to several events scheduled to raise awareness and funds for mental health, South Carolina student-athletes and staff are encouraged to register for suicide prevention training sessions that will be held on Monday at 11 a.m. and Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Dodie Anderson Academic Enrichment Center.

“This year we are partnering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and having them do their one hour suicide prevention training, which is called ‘Talk Saves Lives,” said Sarah Noll, Director of Operations for Mental Health and Performance for South Carolina Athletics. “It focuses on how connection and talking about mental health and suicide is one of the keys to preventing suicide. This will be open to anybody who wants to attend.

“I think the more that we talk about suicide and mental health, the less stigma there is around it. The more people are willing to seek help, the more it breaks down barriers and people start to recognize and have more of an awareness.”

South Carolina Athletics is proud to provide complete medical, physical, mental, and emotional care for its student-athletes, including a staff of licensed mental health practitioners within several disciplines who are trained in individual counseling. Noll’s staff works directly with student-athletes throughout the year on a wide variety of mental health and performance issues, and notes that thoughts of suicide occur more often than most people would realize, even among student-athletes who seem to “have it all.”

“It’s a hard to put a number to how many times someone has said I’ve been thinking about this,” Noll said. “It’s easier to put a number on the number of times people have said I’m thinking about this, and I have a plan and an intent to act on this.”

Noll noted that thoughts of suicide run the gamut of age groups.

“It’s the eleventh leading cause of death in the United States in general, and it’s the second leading cause of death among young teens, and second amongst 10-34 year olds,” Noll said. “Middle aged men also have a high risk factor.”

Noll noted that if you or someone you know has had suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 for the Suicide Prevention Hotline.

“Talk with someone immediately. That’s going to be your quickest course of action. Seeking out a therapist is another thing, which will take a little time, but that is going to help prevent those thoughts and get you the treatment that you need when you’re not in an emergency.

“Recognizing connection is the biggest key. Feeling like you belong, wherever that is, is going to be the biggest component to fighting suicide.”

Mental Health Awareness Week for Student-Athletes and Staff

Saturday, October 4
7 p.m., Stone Stadium – Men’s Soccer Mental Health Awareness Game vs. UCF

Sunday, October 5
3 p.m. – 7 p.m., Founders Park – 2nd Annual Walk-A-Thon to raise awareness and money for suicide prevention. All money raised will go to the USC Mental Heath Fund and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Monday, October 6
11 a.m. – Talk Saves Lives – Suicide Prevention Training
12-2 p.m., Therapy dogs in the grass between the Rice and the Dodie Anderson Academic Enrichment Center.

Tuesday, October 7
12-2 p.m., Therapy dogs in the grass between the Rice and the Dodie Anderson Academic Enrichment Center.
2 p.m. – Talk Saves Lives – Suicide Prevention Training
3 – 4:30 p.m. Coffee and Conversations with your Mental Health and Performance Team in the Dodie Cafeteria

Thursday, October 9
11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. SIPS coffee truck will be here for staff. Please stop by for a free drink!

Friday, October 10
Chair Massages (Details coming soon)