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Dean Christidis

Baseball

STUDENT-ATHLETE STORIES: BLUES PITCHER STRIKES TO BREAK DOWN MENTAL HEALTH BARRIERS

(Pictured above: Dean Christidis at the 2019 Academic Excellence Breakfast | by Seyran Mammadov)
 
Each Thursday, varsityblues.ca will highlight a U of T student-athlete and their academic pursuits. Each of these students achieved first class honours with an AGPA of at least 3.50 in the previous academic year.  These are our Student-Athlete Stories.
 
Mental health resources are in demand now more than ever and Dean Christidis is looking to help fill that void.
 
The veteran Varsity Blues baseball pitcher is in his fourth year of a mental health studies specialist at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus and has a plan to continue his education following graduation.
 
"I'm hoping to study counseling and psychotherapy in a master's program," said the Markham, Ont., native. "This would let me pursue a career in counseling in either the school system or communities, where I feel there is a tremendous need for empathic and professional counseling."
 
He is referring to the research that consistently indicates that 1 in 5 children experience mental well-being issues. If applied to Toronto, this statistic translates into approximately 40,000 students in the TDSB alone. Christidis offers a practical correlation when asked about the need for more counsellors.
 
"I like to draw an analogy between mental and physical health to show the discrepancy," he said. "If someone were to feel a lot of pain in their wrist and think it's potentially broken, the obvious answer is to go to a doctor or hospital to find treatment; however, many often don't see a mental health issue in the same manner. People sometimes aren't sure where to turn. Having the ability to meet with a counselor through your school or within community programs that are affordable would give people a great option."
 
Dean Christidis
(Christidis on the mound at Dan Lang Field | by Martin Bazyl)
 
Christidis admits that his passion for accessible services and desire to help stems from his own experiences.
 
"When I was younger, I struggled with anxiety and intrusive thoughts," he said. "Members of my family have had anxiety disorders due to work circumstances as well. Other close family [acquaintances] have had problems with various other mental health issues. What I noticed was that many of these problems were hidden for a long time. It made me realize the stigma around mental health firsthand and inspired me to pursue a career in the field. Nobody should feel they have to hide a health problem."
 
After achieving an over 80% average during the 2019-20 intercollegiate season, Christidis earned his third OUA academic achievement award in as many years. He boasts that the mental health studies program at UTSC is the best in Canada.
 
"I felt the program at U of T, which is one of the only of its kind, gave me a unique opportunity to study mental health from many different perspectives, whether it be social, biological or psychological," he said. "I love the different perspectives we learn. It teaches us to not become so reliant on one view of a potential problem."
 
Dean Christidis
(Christidis, left, with his award-winning project 'You are what you listen to' | Photo courtesy of Dean Christidis)
 
He also notes that the practical experience that comes with the course is invaluable to his future in the field.
 
"In my co-op program, I worked at Toronto General Hospital in the nephrology research department. The main research project I worked on regarded the physical and mental health of post-transplant patients, in an effort to improve the care they received and place an emphasis on caring for the whole person, rather than just the organ they received. I'm also set to do my next co-op term this winter at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, where I will be working in education research."
 
When he looks back at his decision to attend U of T, Christidis is happy with his choice.
 
"It gave me a chance to study what I wanted through many different lenses and meet some incredible classmates and professors," he said. "There is a tremendous amount of opportunity at U of T in many different avenues if you seek it out. There's something for everyone, you just have to be prepared to work hard."
 
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