Utah Athletics Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Health on U Giving Day

U Giving Day Information | Support Utah Student-Athletes

As part of the first U Giving Day, Utah Athletics encourages you to donate to this year's campaign. Your gift directly affects student-athlete mental health, providing funds to our psychology and wellness departments.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, depression affects 20-25% of Americans age 18 and older
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages 15-24
According to National College Health Assessment Data, one in three male student-athletes reported feeling "overwhelming anxiety," as did nearly half of all female student-athletes who reported
National College Health Assessment Data also found that 27% of female student-athletes and one in five male student-athletes reporting feeling "so depressed it was difficult to function" in the past year
According to the NCAA Study of Social Environments, 83% of all female student-athletes and two in three male student-athletes ask for help dealing with stress or other mental well-being issues
According to data from the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, track and field, soccer, softball/baseball and lacrosse are the NCAA sports where depressive symptoms among student-athletes are most prevalent

"The mental health and wellbeing of our student-athletes at the University of Utah is a major priority for this department," Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Support Services and Senior Woman Administrator Nona Richardson said. "Our goal is to be a leader in the Pac-12 in providing the necessary staffing and support that our student-athletes need and deserve. With the generous support of our benefactors, we can make this a reality."

Help us spread the news about U Giving Day on social media using hashtags #UAreWorthIt and #UAreNotAlone. Follow Utah Athletics and all of its individual sport pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram throughout the day to hear testimonials from coaches and student-athletes about mental health awareness.

Yesterday, at its annual spring meeting in San Francisco, the Pac-12 CEO Group approved measures to extend the Student-Athlete Health & Well-Being Initiative for five years to support on-campus mental health services.

Created in 2014, the Student-Athlete Health & Well-Being Initiative has provided funding for research projects for its 12 member Universities for five consecutive years. The initiative is a collective effort between the Pac-12 and its member universities to strengthen and improve the health, general well-being and safety of all student-athletes. Since its founding, the initiative has committed funding for 25 research projects at Pac-12 Universities designed to improve safety and well-being in the essential areas of head trauma, injury prevention and mental health.

"Initiatives focused on enhancing the student-athlete experience and student-athlete well-being have been at the forefront of the Pac-12 mission," said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. "These decisions reaffirm our commitment to the student-athlete and our efforts to play a leadership role in important areas such as health and well-being."

-- ABOUT GIVING DAY --
U Giving Day is a 36-hour fundraising effort May 21 – 22. It is the first university-wide giving event that involves students, alumni, staff, faculty, parents, and friends to imagine more for the University of Utah and the programs near to their hearts. U Giving Day will raise critical funding to ensure the university continues to support our community and provide future students with opportunities to gain an education and succeed.

U Giving Day is an opportunity for the university community to come together to support the U. Everyone supporting the U during these 36 hours, with a gift of any size, will be joining forces with the larger community to make a lasting impact. The University of Utah is a public university, which means part of our budget comes from the state. On average, only 59 percent of a student's education is covered by tuition and state support. The rest comes from alternative sources, including private philanthropy. In 2018, more than $50 million was donated for academic support.

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Utah Athletics Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Health on U Giving Day

Completed Event: General versus Arizona on January 18, 2002

Completed Event: General versus Utah St on November 30, 2001 , Win , 3, to, 1

Completed Event: General versus San Diego St on November 17, 2001 , Win , 166, to, 120

Completed Event: General versus UNLV on November 10, 2001 , Loss , 114, to, 117

Completed Event: General versus UNLV on November 10, 2001 , Loss , 89, to, 189.5

Completed Event: General at Oregon St on October 26, 2001 , Loss , 89, to, 116

Completed Event: General versus Utah St on October 23, 2001 , Win , 3, to, 1

Completed Event: General versus UNLV on November 10, 2000 , Loss , 82, to, 120

Completed Event: General versus UNLV on November 10, 2000

The University of Utah Athletics

Utah Athletics Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Health on U Giving Day

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