Show-Me State Times

At Saint Louis University, an interprofessional wellness team is making strides in enhancing the health and well-being of student-athletes. This initiative serves as a framework for other institutions to follow.

Rebecca Steins, a sports psychologist with Billiken athletics, led a team of experts at SLU who recently published their findings in a special edition titled "Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes' Performance and Well-Being" in Sports.

Research indicates that mental health struggles are on the rise among college students, including athletes. Issues such as gambling, sleep disturbances, substance abuse, disordered eating, mood disorders, and suicide are prevalent. Breitbach notes that overcoming barriers to interprofessional collaboration can improve student-athlete wellness.

"Teamwork in care, just like on the field or the court, translates to better outcomes," Breitbach stated.

The authors of the study suggest that clearly defining roles within care teams can enhance service delivery. They identified several barriers to effective collaboration: role ambiguity, poor communication, differing values and ethical standards, traditional professional hierarchies, and stakeholder commitment.

To address these challenges, strategies were developed to identify common values among team members and create a shared mental model across the team. Regular meetings and structured communications help identify strengths and weaknesses within the team and address training gaps.

Interprofessional Education (IPE) at SLU allows students from various health disciplines to learn together. This approach fosters better collaboration skills among future healthcare professionals. In the 2023-24 school year, 915 students were enrolled in IPE courses at SLU. The program is integrated into several academic programs and aligned with six attributes of the Undergraduate Core Curriculum.

The interprofessional wellness team at Billiken Athletics includes a clinical sports psychology doctoral student, a licensed mental health professional, an athletic trainer, and a sports dietitian. They operate from SLU's O'Loughlin Family Champions Center—a $20 million facility offering comprehensive support services for student-athletes. The team has also established safety protocols for athletes and maintains an updated network of resources connecting athletes to necessary support systems.

"The Champions Center has provided so much for our student-athletes," said Breitbach. "In one facility within SLU's athletic complex, our student-athletes have access to everything they need to succeed."

Janet Oberle, Ph.D., deputy director of athletics at SLU who oversees the interprofessional wellness team remarked: "In intercollegiate athletics we constantly teach the values of a team-based approach... This approach models the behavior we are teaching our students."