SAMHW Digital Toolkit

Student Athlete Mental Health Week is September 30 to October 7, 2023.

We have 160+ colleges and universities joining our mission by utilizing green ribbon materials, playing our mental health PSA during their game, and/or prioritizing a mental health campus engagement strategy. The goal of this week is to raise mental health awareness, destigmatize mental illness, and provide quality resources to student athletes nationwide.

This week coincides with Mental Illness Awareness Week and leads up to World Mental Health Day on October 10.

This toolkit acts as a living document - so feel free to check back for updates!

If you’ve created an action plan for Mental Health Week, please share it with us!

Below are a few examples of action plans from last year (click to enlarge):

Your boxes have shipped!

If you filled out our sign up form and gave us an address, your boxes have shipped out! Feel free to snap a picture or video when you receive your box and tag us @hilinskishope!

Questions about your box? Reach out to Chloé Smith at chloe@hilinskishope.org.

Mental Health Week Graphics

Add your school helmet or logo, and make it your own!

Mental Health Week Sample Posts

  • This week we kick off Student Athlete Mental Health Week alongside @HilinskisHope and 160+ other universities. We are taking time to #BreakTheStigma by hosting conversations with our student-athletes and offering resources to let them know they’re not alone. Join us in telling the world that #MentalHealthMatters.

  • Together, we can #BreakTheStigma of mental health. This week, we’re observing Student Athlete Mental Health Week alongside @HilinskisHope and 160+ universities across the nation to let our students know #MentalHealthMatters. Today we remember Tyler Hilinski and all those we’ve lost, and we fight for a future full of hope.

  • [University] is proud to participate in Student Athlete Mental Health Week from Sept 30 - Oct 7. This week is a call to action by @HilinskisHope to raise mental health awareness, destigmatize mental illness, and provide quality resources to our student athletes because #MentalHealthMatters.

  • We believe mental health is a crucial part of being a successful student-athlete. [University] is joining the mission to #BreakTheStigma alongside 160+ universities for @HilinskisHope’s Student Athlete Mental Health Week. #MentalHealthMatters

PSA Video and Script

Here is a sample script to introduce the PSA video at the end of halftime. Feel free to edit this script as you see fit:

  • “The Hilinski’s Hope Foundation (H3H) was founded in 2018 by Mark and Kym Hilinski to honor the life of their son Tyler, who died by suicide yet never showed any signs of depression or struggle. Today, after the first play of the 3rd quarter, we will lift three fingers high, in remembrance of him and all those we have lost to suicide. To all those struggling, you don’t have to walk alone or suffer in silence. We look towards a future free from mental health stigma, because each and every one of us has mental health, and mental health matters.”

Share your week with us!

Have pictures, videos, or stories about Student Athlete Mental Health Week? We’d love to see them. Each year, this week grows beyond expectation, but our Hilinski’s Hope team takes the time to reflect on every school’s involvement, the images shared on social media, and the stories from coaches and athletes having breakthroughs in their mental health journey.

Helpful Resources

Below are documents and downloadables that you can use to make the week a success (click to open and download):

Talking Points: Hilinski’s Hope Foundation

  • From September 30 - October 7, Hilinski’s Hope is hosting Student Athlete Mental Health Week, curating a collective week of action focused on eliminating stigma and increasing mental health resources for universities and colleges.

  • The Hilinski’s Hope Foundation was founded in 2018 by Mark and Kym Hilinski to honor the life of their son Tyler, who died by suicide yet never showed any signs of depression or struggle. Hilinski’s Hope helps colleges and universities change and save lives, eliminate stigma, and scale mental wellness programs for student-athletes by sharing Tyler’s story, connecting students with mental health resources, and assisting universities to institutionalize best practices.

  • Mark and Kym Hilinski have spoken at 150+ Universities and Mental Health Conferences, was named one of the biggest power brokers in college football by ESPN in 2022, was an official National Charity Recipient for the NCAA Final Four in 2021, won the 2020 Stuart Scott ENSPIRE ESPY Award, and received an Emmy in 2020 for Short Sports Documentary.

  • Hilinski’s Hope has worked with Prevention Strategies to develop mental health programs such as Game Plan and their Online Mental Health Course. These programs work to reduce stigma, build confidence in seeking treatment, teach students how to advocate for others, and assist universities in applying best mental health practices — and have been rolled out by universities nationwide.

Talking Points: Student Athlete Mental Health

  • Studies find that as many as 23.7% of college athletes experience depressive symptoms that reach clinically relevant levels, and 6.3% have moderate to severe depression. Even serious high school athletes have been found to struggle with their mental health. (NAMI)

  • 33% of all college students experience significant symptoms of depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions. Among that group, 30% seek help. But of college athletes with mental health conditions, only 10% do. (Athletes for Hope)

  • The number of student-athletes reporting mental health concerns is 1.5 -2x higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2023, the NCAA Coach Well-Being Study reported 40% of head coaches felt mentally exhausted on a near-constant basis. (NCAA)

  • Two-thirds of student-athletes indicated knowing where to go on campus for mental health concerns, and a majority (56%) reported knowing how to help a teammate experiencing a mental health issue. However, fewer than half (47%) felt they would be comfortable personally seeking support from a mental health provider on campus. Sixty-three percent of student- athletes felt their teammates take mental health concerns of fellow teammates seriously, and a slightly lower percentage (53%) reported that coaches take mental health concerns of their student-athletes seriously. Half of student-athletes believe that mental health is a priority to their athletics department. (NCAA)

Questions? Contact our Program and Communications Director, Chloé Smith at chloe@hilinskishope.org.