Expressing support for the designation of September 30, 2023, through October 7, 2023, as "National Student Athlete Mental Health Week".

National Student Athlete Mental Health Week Whereas nearly 8,000,000 high school and more than 650,000 college students currently participate in athletics; Whereas 9,800 student athletes participated in a fall 2021 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) survey on mental health, reporting elevated levels of mental health concerns; Whereas of the survey respondents— (1) only two-thirds indicated they knew where to seek mental health resources on campus; (2) less than half indicated they felt comfortable seeking mental health support on campus; and (3) just over half reported they knew how to help a teammate experiencing a mental health issue; Whereas student athletes, like their nonathlete peers, experience issues including stress, eating disorders, burnout, depression, and anxiety which in the most severe cases if left untreated may lead to suicide or suicidal ideation; Whereas studies show student athletes may be less likely to seek counseling and other professional help services; Whereas mental health stigma especially among athletes contributes to student athletes not seeking needed care or vocalizing their mental health concerns to parents, peers, and coaches; Whereas student athletes experience unique stressors, including expectations to perform and achieve in sports on top of their academic requirements; Whereas coaches and support staff are mentors to student athletes, and their knowledge of stigmatizing language and mental health services and resources can make a difference in the lives of athletes; Whereas prominent athletes have forgone competitions to address their mental health needs; Whereas mental health and physical health are equally important components of overall health; Whereas better publicly available data is needed to track the mental health of student athletes, including the rate of suicide among this demographic; and Whereas a week of public awareness and education campaigns to shine a light on the mental health crisis is held the first week of October every year, leading up to World Mental Health Day That the House of Representatives— (1) supports the goals of Mental Illness Awareness Week National Student Athlete Mental Health Week (2) encourages institutions of higher education and their athletic departments to participate by addressing stigma and highlighting resources for their student-athlete populations; (3) supports institutions of higher education and organizations already engaged in the work of educating athletic departments and students, including the NCAA’s development of data-driven mental health best practices; (4) encourages athletic directors to include mental health resources for student athletes and best practices for suicide prevention alongside mandatory trainings; and (5) encourages the President to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe National Student Athlete Mental Health Week

Summary: This resolution supports the goals of Mental Illness Awareness Week and supports the designation of a National Student Athlete Mental Health Week.