Promising Practice

The Athletes Connected program at the University of Michigan was designed to increase awareness of mental health issues, reduce the stigma of help-seeking, and promote positive coping skills among student athletes. The program involved presentations by mental health professionals to every varsity athletic team, featuring mental health education, videos highlighting former student-athletes’ struggles with mental illnesses, and a discussion at the end with the former athletes portrayed in the videos. Pilot results indicated significant increases in knowledge and positive attitudes.