Nationally recognized for prioritizing the mental health of its students, Brock University has taken on an external brand focused on supporting Canadian student-athletes.

The Student-Athlete Mental Health Initiative (SAMHI), which ceased operations in August 2023, has transferred ownership of its brand and social media networks to its longtime collaborator, the Centre for Healthy Youth Development through Sport (CHYDS) at Brock University.

CHYDS is a leader in Canadian youth sport research and evidence-based practices for youth health and development through sport. Adding the SAMHI brand and networks to CHYDS’s portfolio strengthens its outreach, research and collaboration opportunities, says Corliss Bean, CHYDS Director and Brock Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies.

“SAMHI has worked to establish a strong, trusting connection with the post-secondary student-athlete community over the past 15 years,” she says. “We are excited to continue this legacy and grow SAMHI as a hub for research and knowledge exchange across Canada to reach student-athletes, leaders and other key knowledge users in Canadian intercollegiate sport.”

In transitioning to Brock, SAMHI’s activities will not focus exclusively on research or activities at the University. Under the leadership of CHYDS member and Brock Professor of Kinesiology Philip Sullivan, SAMHI’s knowledge mobilization platforms will share research and best practices from research institutions and professionals across Canada that focus on supporting the mental health of Canadian university student-athletes.

“SAMHI has served an overlooked yet important population for several years,” says Sullivan. “University student-athletes in Canada have a relatively high prevalence of a wide variety of mental health issues. They have specific mental health challenges and barriers that are different from university students who are not athletes and are different from student-athletes in the United States.”

Sullivan says his research suggests that 20 per cent of student-athletes in Canada have rates of depression and anxiety that are indicative of a moderate to severe mental health disorder. Other research shows that university coaches and those who support student-athletes have about the same amount of mental health literacy as the general population.

“It’s important more information about student-athlete mental health is shared with coaches, athletes and others who support student-athletes,” says Sullivan. “We need to continue efforts to reduce the stigma of mental health issues and to increase the awareness of its prevalence among student-athletes. SAMHI’s brand and platforms will help with this.”

SAMHI’s former President, Samantha DeLenardo is thankful to the CHYDS team for their leadership in adopting SAMHI’s brand and carrying on its important knowledge mobilization efforts.

“Dr. Sullivan and his team have the resources and expertise to continue SAMHI’s mission to protect and promote student-athlete mental health,” she says. “CHYDS’s role in putting the best evidence into practice is critical to achieving that goal. I am thrilled for this next chapter for SAMHI.”

CHYDS has assumed ownership of the name and logo of the Student-Athlete Mental Health Initiative and its Facebook and Instagram accounts. SAMHI’s charitable status has been voluntarily revoked, and samhi.ca is no longer active.