Big Ten Announces Mental Health Initiatives, Including 31-Person Cabinet

The Big Ten Conference announced multiple mental health initiatives on Monday, including the formation of a 31-person “Mental Health and Wellness Cabinet”, in conjunction with May being Mental Health Awareness Month.

The cabinet includes representatives from all 14 Big Ten institutions, along with sport affiliate members Johns Hopkins and Notre Dame.

In addition to the formation of the cabinet, the conference also announced that all Big Ten student-athletes, coaches, full-time members of university athletic departments and conference staff members will receive free, unlimited access to Calm, a mental fitness app. Calm is “the No. 1 mental fitness app for helping individuals experience lower stress, less anxiety, improved focus and more restful sleep,” the conference writes in its press release.

“When I was hired as the Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, a core pillar of my vision was to make sure that we educate, embrace, engage and empower our more than 9,500 student-athletes,” said Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren. “This is a complex and stressful time in our society and the mental health and wellness of our Big Ten family is a critical component of our focus. The Cabinet will be instrumental for us both short and long term, as we pursue our goal of creating and maintaining the most comprehensive mental health and wellness platform in college athletics.

“Our hope is that the Calm mental fitness app will provide an immediate resource for all Big Ten student-athletes, coaches, athletic department staff members and conference staff during these unprecedented times and is only the first of many steps that we will take in the area of mental health and wellness. We are fortunate to have so many professionals on our campuses who have dedicated their lives to tackling mental health issues. We were driven to supplement their inspiring work with additional resources, important under normal circumstances, but even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Established in 2019 by Commissioner Warren, the cabinet’s aim is to promote “optimal mental health for student-athletes.” Mental health educators, medical doctors, faculty athletic representatives and senior woman administrators are among those represented in the cabinet.

“I think the work the Big Ten Conference is doing with regard to mental health initiatives is incredibly important,” Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day said. “Forming a Mental Health and Wellness Cabinet is a reflection of the conference’s leadership, engagement and support for mental health initiatives. These efforts will help bring much-needed attention and awareness to the subject of mental health.”

BIG TEN MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS CABINET

Among the other organizations joining the nation in support of Mental Health Awareness Month include:

• The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) launched its “We Are Team USA” campaign, “focused on raising awareness around mental health resources and needs within the Team USA community and promoting a culture that encourages proactively seeking and delivering mental health support for everyone.”
• USA Swimming produced a Mental Health Q&A featuring Natalie Coughlin, Maya DiRado and sports psychologist Sean McCann, discussing the best ways to cope during this time away from the pool.
• The NCAA is running its inaugural Mental Health Social Media Campaign, serving as a platform for student-athletes, administrators, coaches, staff, and support networks across the country to continue the discussion around mental health.