TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona Athletics' commitment to mental health and wellbeing was woven into a foundational pillar of the department's Wildcat Way Strategic Plan, but that commitment continues to affirm the University of Arizona's position as a national leader by other means.

A cross-campus collaboration between the athletics department and the Psychology department has created an innovative and comprehensive mental health screening and pre-participation model. The program, which is the recipient of a large, six-figure Pac-12 grant, will act as the conference's premier mental health coordinating unit to be used as a model for future conference-wide adaptation at the 11 other institutions.



"We are developing the gold standard for preparticipation screening for Arizona Athletics by developing screening, triage and referral processes focused on sleep, mental health and performance," Dr. Alex Auerbach noted. "This program will be another step in our ongoing process of developing and increasing access to mental health resources for student-athletes."

Arizona Athletics' Director of Clinical and Sports Psychology Dr. Alex Auerbach worked with Dr. Daniel Taylor and Dr. John Ruiz of the Psychology department on campus in a cross-departmental collaboration that also included Dr. Michael Grandner who is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology and Medicine. With the awarding of a grant, this University of Arizona partnership is leading the conference of champions in key mental health and wellbeing initiatives.

Similar to a physical, Arizona's program would focus on pre-screening of student-athletes as they arrive on campus. The idea behind the emphasis on prescreening is to be able to identify any mental health issues at an early stage and be able to begin treatment quicker and alleviate and reduce any issues before they become sources of bigger problems.

"We have a very strong plan with a group of tremendous professionals with a diverse background of experience," said Psychology Professor Dr. Daniel Taylor. "Our goal here is to set a brand-new standard for assessment and screening for all athletes. We are going to build what we feel is the Tesla of how to screen, intervene and treat athletes with regards to mental health."

 Looking at the relationship between mental health, sleep and performance is a concept the University of Arizona has already been at the forefront of.

A previous collaboration between Arizona Athletics and the College of Medicine's Sleep Health Research Center won a grant from the NCAA in 2018. Dr. Grandner worked with Arizona Athletics' Director of Psychological Services and Wellness, Dr. Amy Athey, to pioneer the ProjectREST program, which took an in-depth look at how the quality and amount of sleep of athletes impacted their physical performances. The $25,000 grant awarded from the NCAA was given to grow and develop the program for adaptation at schools around the country.

The athletics department at the University of Arizona attracts the best and the brightest of student-athletes that make up its 21 programs. It's where physical performance, mental focus, sleep and competition meet. And at Arizona, the intersection of all these factors plays out on the biggest of stages nationally and internationally. It's the brightest of lights that help attract esteemed faculty members like Dr. Taylor.

"Athletics has so many interesting components to study and improve," Dr. Taylor continued. "There are a ton of different student-athletes, from diverse backgrounds, competing in a variety of sports. These world-class athletes are tremendous to study because how process-oriented and focused on performance they are."

Arizona Athletics and its campus partners continue to come together to share ideas, co-author research and work side by side to address the complex issues facing student-athletes, staff, students and faculty. What continues to push the athletics department to the national forefront of all aspects of the student-athlete experience is a history of collaboration with members of our campus and community who are at the forefront of their respective fields.

It's what's known as "The Arizona Advantage". Utilizing the strengths of the many Wildcats who touch the athletics department in a variety of ways. It's being part of a team, knowing that we are all Wildcats. It's how we live the Wildcat Way.