COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- While most college students are preparing for a long winter break, many of the more than 460,000 NCAA student-athletes do not take time off for the holidays. During this time of year, in particular, it can be challenging for athletes and their mental health. In fact, new data from Healthy Roster, a mobile-first platform for supporting the health and wellness of high school and college students, shows more than one in 10 college student-athletes (13 percent) who responded to a depression screening scored at a level that could indicate depression. Moreover, four percent of those athletes had scores that could indicate major depression. The survey analyzed data from 658 student athletes from four collegiate athletic programs across the country from October - November 2019.
"Mental health at the collegiate level is something that can be easily overlooked," said Maggie Mancini, Licensed Athletic Trainer. "Today's student athletes have a lot on their plates, beyond their sport including, managing their time, maintaining good grades, making new friends, and oftentimes, being far away from family. That on top of an expectation of performing in their sport can take a toll on anyone. As a head athletic trainer at this level, it is always important to make sure the athlete understands how to be a self-advocate for their own mental health, as well as making sure they know they have a support system on and off the field."
On the heels of Healthy Roster revealing best practices and tips for helping parents assess how their children are feeling, the company is launching a free survey to help college students gain better insight into their well-being, as well as provide next steps for treating it.
"As a parent of a student-athlete myself, I've quickly learned that the stress she experiences is often unique to the balancing act of being an elite athlete and a successful student," said Dan Fronczak, president and co-founder of Healthy Roster. "Our goal with SAFE Roster is to ultimately get that student-athlete the assistance they need, but secondarily to provide their loved ones' peace of mind in knowing that the right people are asking the right questions and applying the proper protocols in a timely manner."
Healthy Roster's SAFE Roster platform, which was just named a top innovation of 2019 in Coach & AD Magazine, enables healthcare providers to more easily conduct secure screenings for mental health as well receive alerts for at-risk individuals, facilitating escalation to a certified mental health provider, and engaging more quickly to address the complete health of each young person.
Students, parents and athletic staff are encouraged to take a proactive role in assessing the mental health of young athletes. To take the Healthy Roster survey, visit: https://www.healthy4theholidays.com/. And click here for more on SAFE Roster.
About Healthy Roster
Powering Sports Medicine with the only mobile-first platform, Healthy Roster supports Athletic Trainers in Healthcare Systems, Hospitals, Colleges, High Schools and Industrial settings. Healthy Roster delivers powerful mobile documentation and communication tools, which improves athletic trainers' ability to provide better care to their athletes and prove value for sports medicine departments. Built on a HIPAA compliant infrastructure, Healthy Roster also enables patients to easily communicate with providers, reducing misunderstandings and delays in care to reduce reinjuries. For more information, visit http://www.healthyroster.com
SOURCE Healthy Roster
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