Washington Athletics Rolls Out Mental Health App For Student-Athletes
May 09, 2023 | General
The Washington athletic department has added another impactful resource which prioritizes the mental health of its student-athletes.
The Athlete Talk app is now available to student-athletes and coaches with full subscriptions provided by the athletic department.
Washington women's basketball senior Darcy Rees was among the group of student-athletes to test out Athlete Talk.
"Mental health is vital to all individuals, but especially student-athletes due to the high pressure, physically draining and time-consuming environments we place ourselves in daily," Rees said. "I hope that we can continue to take strides in normalizing the conversation and education surrounding mental health through the use of this app. I hope that teams can use this app as a starting point for conversation and growth within themselves as individuals, but also collectively."
Mike Dillon, Washington Associate Athletic Director / Director of Medical Services - Health and Wellness, is excited to provide another resource for student-athlete mental health and wellbeing.
"Just because we do something well doesn't mean we can't do it better," Dillon said. "I think Athlete Talk is one way that we can do better. I want our wellness department to be more proactive than reactive and this is a great step toward accomplishing that goal."
The goal of implementing Athlete Talk is to meet student-athletes where they are on their mental health journey.
The app provides a scrolling feed of photos, videos, motivational quotes, and informational articles to read. It also features compartmentalized lists or "plans" which target specific mental health symptoms or disorders such as depression or anxiety.
McKenna Bryant, a senior on the women's rowing team, was an active part of the preliminary focus group dedicated to selecting a mental health app.
"I appreciate the representation of all forms in the news feed and think it is especially important when it comes to the mental health status of student-athletes," shared Bryant, who praised the diverse set of resources on the app. "When you can relate to a post, you are more likely to find yourself engaging with that post which will positively affect mental health. Having a large variety of content expands the number of student-athletes who are being
positively impacted through their usage of the app."
The format of the app is meant to encourage student-athletes to take what they are working on in the app and transition the conversation into every-day life with their teammates. Coaches' use of the app is separate from that of the student-athletes but Athlete Talk provides coaches with instructions on how to lead a guided discussion on certain topics.
While the app closely resembles prominent social media platforms by allowing student-athletes to see what their teammates are interacting with, app users also have the ability to keep private journals.
In addition to the partnership with Athlete Talk, Washington also provides its student-athletes access to two full-time team psychologists as well as a mental health services councilor within the athletic department. Campus-wide resources are also available to all UW student-athletes.
More information on Washington's mental health resources
The Athlete Talk app is now available to student-athletes and coaches with full subscriptions provided by the athletic department.
Washington women's basketball senior Darcy Rees was among the group of student-athletes to test out Athlete Talk.
"Mental health is vital to all individuals, but especially student-athletes due to the high pressure, physically draining and time-consuming environments we place ourselves in daily," Rees said. "I hope that we can continue to take strides in normalizing the conversation and education surrounding mental health through the use of this app. I hope that teams can use this app as a starting point for conversation and growth within themselves as individuals, but also collectively."
Mike Dillon, Washington Associate Athletic Director / Director of Medical Services - Health and Wellness, is excited to provide another resource for student-athlete mental health and wellbeing.
"Just because we do something well doesn't mean we can't do it better," Dillon said. "I think Athlete Talk is one way that we can do better. I want our wellness department to be more proactive than reactive and this is a great step toward accomplishing that goal."
The goal of implementing Athlete Talk is to meet student-athletes where they are on their mental health journey.
The app provides a scrolling feed of photos, videos, motivational quotes, and informational articles to read. It also features compartmentalized lists or "plans" which target specific mental health symptoms or disorders such as depression or anxiety.
McKenna Bryant, a senior on the women's rowing team, was an active part of the preliminary focus group dedicated to selecting a mental health app.
"I appreciate the representation of all forms in the news feed and think it is especially important when it comes to the mental health status of student-athletes," shared Bryant, who praised the diverse set of resources on the app. "When you can relate to a post, you are more likely to find yourself engaging with that post which will positively affect mental health. Having a large variety of content expands the number of student-athletes who are being
positively impacted through their usage of the app."
The format of the app is meant to encourage student-athletes to take what they are working on in the app and transition the conversation into every-day life with their teammates. Coaches' use of the app is separate from that of the student-athletes but Athlete Talk provides coaches with instructions on how to lead a guided discussion on certain topics.
While the app closely resembles prominent social media platforms by allowing student-athletes to see what their teammates are interacting with, app users also have the ability to keep private journals.
In addition to the partnership with Athlete Talk, Washington also provides its student-athletes access to two full-time team psychologists as well as a mental health services councilor within the athletic department. Campus-wide resources are also available to all UW student-athletes.
More information on Washington's mental health resources
Head Coach Jedd Fisch Press Conference: November 17, 2025
Monday, November 17
Washington Women's Soccer NCAA Tournament Postgame Press Conference: Montana
Monday, November 17
UW Football Press Conference: November 18, 2025
Monday, November 17
Washington 3, Northwestern 2 | Huskies Highlights
Sunday, November 16
