NEW YORK, November 30, 2022 – Penn State University has expanded its partnership with Mantra Health, the nation’s leading digital mental health clinic for young adults, as part of its commitment to provide students with clinically comprehensive mental health services. Mantra Health will now work with Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics to provide mental health support to its student-athletes.

Penn State University established a partnership with Mantra Health in 2020 for psychiatric services, and is now expanding that relationship to provide student-athletes with evidence-based therapy. Working collaboratively, Mantra Health and Penn State Athletics will now be able to provide more than 850 student-athletes with virtual therapy that’s accessible on nights and weekends.

“Less than half of female student-athletes feel as though their mental health is a priority to their athletic departments, and that’s not nearly good enough,” said Ed Gaussen, Co-Founder and CEO of Mantra Health. “We have clinically-guided therapists trained on the issues facing student-athletes, who are not only navigating the classroom and the field, but facing additional barriers to care, including busy schedules, financial responsibilities, and stigma associated with help-seeking behaviors. Mantra Health is working closely with Penn State Athletics to combat this and ensure that all student-athletes are not only aware of the services available, but are empowered to use them.”

Depression and anxiety among student-athletes are twice as common as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an NCAA report. In addition, less than half of student-athletes said they would be comfortable seeking mental healthcare on campus, and only one-ten college athletes utilize professional mental healthcare.

“Support for strong mental health is personal to me and critical to our department,” said Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft. “We have to do our part to change the way mental health is viewed and to combat the stigma surrounding it. More importantly, mental health plays a critical role in holistic student-athlete wellness and development, and we encourage our student-athletes to make it a priority and to seek help when they need it. Our efforts today will impact our student-athletes for years to come.”

Student-athletes in Penn State Athletics, which houses 31 NCAA Division I teams, will now have access to a wide network of diverse digital mental health providers.

“Student-athletes are often celebrated for their achievements on the field, but that does mean they are immune from struggling with mental health issues. At Mantra Health, we are eager to foster an environment and support system that will help these athletes thrive physically, academically, and emotionally,” said Gaussen.

About Mantra Health

Mantra Health is an award-winning digital mental health clinic on a mission to improve access to evidence-based mental healthcare for young adults. Through augmenting high-quality clinical services with software and design, we aim to improve the mental health of over 40 million young adults through partnerships with higher education institutions and health insurance plans. Mantra Health was named a Mental & Behavioral Health Rising Star at the 2022 UCSF Health Hub Digital Health Awards. The Mantra program has been deployed across 105 campuses with over 800,000 students, including Penn State, MIT, Cornell, and Miami Dade College.