UR is committed to creating and maintaining a culture of well-being across campus, including student-athletes, who can be more susceptible to elevated rates of mental exhaustion and anxiety.

A staff member of UR’s counseling and psychological services, Rachel Turk became the athletic department’s first-ever full-time staff psychologist in 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to her arrival on campus, less than 11 percent of student-athletes sought out mental health support services. Now, that percentage averages between 30 to 35 annually, she said.

“I think a lot of people see student-athletes as a very privileged student population,” said Turk, who played volleyball at Lynchburg College. “But they can face more barriers to well-being than traditional students. In addition to their weekly course load, they also have 20 hours of physical activity and training for their sport, team meetings, weekend games, and more. And that’s not including the pressure to perform and the media spotlight.”

Turk added that because of their rigorous schedules, student-athletes can develop high-functioning anxiety and depression in which symptoms are not easily recognizable. 

“These students don’t have the option of staying in bed or not going to practice,” she said. “They have to get there even if they don’t feel mentally able. And they can’t just quit — it’s often a critical part of their identity, and for some, it’s the only way they can afford college.”

Maddy Chao, a 2020 alum and member of the women’s swimming and diving team, worked with Turk on sports-related anxiety issues.

“She helped me get through my final season,” Chao said. “I think it’s so important that there are mental health workers available for everyone on campus, especially student-athletes because there’s a stigma around athletes getting help. Having Dr. Turk on campus helps breaks down that stigma.”

Turk creates custom counseling plans for each student-athlete that teaches stress management and coping techniques and encourages independence and self-reliance. Each plan also outlines how often the student should see Turk and for how long, based on the student’s availability. On average, she sees between 20 and 30 student-athletes for 30 minutes to an hour each week.

In addition to one-on-one counseling sessions, Turk facilitates proactive training called Mental Health 101 for each athletic team at the beginning of the school year that outlines signs and symptoms of mental illness and lists available resources on campus. She also provides annual mental health education and training to coaches and athletics staff.

Donor support of CAPS and athletics special events and programs, such as monthly Wellness Wednesday events and community guest speakers, helps Turk and her colleagues promote the holistic well-being of all student-athletes. She is also assisted by graduate student trainees, whose funding is entirely covered by donor generosity.

“Having trainees not only creates a very rare training opportunity in a subspecialty that is currently experiencing a provider shortage, but also creates space for between 15 to 20 additional weekly appointments for student-athletes,” Turk said. “There is no way we could meet the current need without these positions.”

“The more we’re having conversations about mental health, the more progress we’re making,” said Turk, who credits Spider alums as part of the solution: “It’s been amazing to see how our donors have given us the ability to make a larger impact.”