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NCAA student-athletes (SAs) face unique challenges as they simultaneously navigate sports, adulthood, and academic demands. Research indicates that SAs experience mental health issues at rates similar to or higher than their non-athlete peers, yet they are often less likely to seek help as they experience possible contributing factors including lack of knowledge on how and where to seek services, and stigma, which can both discourage service utilization. This study examined the mental health concerns of 145 NCAA SAs, focusing on the impact of biopsychosocial (BPS) factors influenced by division, injury, and marginalization status. Using Engel’s BPS framework, which considers biological, psychological, and social dimensions, the study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of SA mental health. The research explored differences in mental health concerns across NCAA divisions, injury status, and marginalization status (e.g., race, gender, sexuality) and their influence on access to and use of mental health services. Findings indicated that SAs across all divisions face similar mental health challenges; however, disparities were noted, particularly among marginalized groups, including women and LGBTQ+ SAs. These groups reported greater mental health challenges and varying levels of support from coaches, teams, and institutions, often compounded by stigma and perceived inadequate support. The study advocates for policy change across all NCAA divisions to further prioritize mental health, promote holistic well-being, and enhance SA performance. It calls for a cultural shift within athletic departments and institutions to destigmatize mental health issues and provide inclusive, tailored mental health support systems that meet the diverse needs of all SAs. This research emphasizes the need for equitable mental health support to address the interconnected factors contributing to SA mental health, aiming to raise awareness and drive improvements in mental health resources for student-athletes.
Students of color and student-athletes undergo unique stressors in college, such as discrimination and time constraints, that impact their mental health needs. They have shown more mental health stigma and less service utilization. This study explored these variables and groups using secondary data analyses from the 2019-2020 Healthy Minds Study (HMS). The current study hypothesized that utilization would be associated with stigma, knowledge, and resilience. Additionally, student-athletes and students of color would report less utilization and more stigma and resilience. Results indicated that students of color reported no difference in utilization and less stigma and resilience than White students. Student-athletes reported less utilization and more stigma and resilience. Resilience was found to be a moderator between mental health difficulties and utilization. Resiliency is an important component among aspects of mental health in college students. As such, this research provides important information about help-seeking habits and considerations for interventions in these populations.
Current research has suggested that college student-athletes are at an increased risk for experiencing mental illness but utilize mental health support services at a lower rate than the general college student population. Stigma toward mental illness has been identified as a factor that can influence student-athletes' decision to utilize mental health support services. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between the demographic variables of socioeconomic status, sport played, class, race and gender and levels of stigma toward mental illness and peers that utilize mental health support services. This study also investigated college student-athletes' perceived attitudes toward the benefits and barriers to utilizing mental health support services. The participants in this study were 141 NCAA student-athletes who completed an online survey assessing stigma and attitudes toward peers that utilize mental health support services. Follow-up interviews were conducted with seven participants to gain a deeper understanding of the salient attitudes toward the benefits and barriers to utilizing mental health support services. Analyses were conducted to identify relationships between demographic variables and high stigma levels. Results indicated that there was a significant relationship between sport played, class, and gender and stigma levels within the sample. Also, qualitative analysis indicated that self-awareness was identified as a perceived benefit to utilizing mental health support services, but mental health illiteracy, fear of being labelled, and stigma were perceived barriers to utilizing mental health support services in this sample. Findings from this study have implications for how college athletic departments deliver effective mental health support programs to their student-athletes.
The negative effects of disclosing a history of mental illness and the need for mental health services are well documented in the professional literature (Corrigan, 2005). Being labeled as "mentally ill" can lead to negative stereotypes placed on the individual that lead to prejudice and discrimination (Corrigan, 2004). These negative effects of disclosing psychological disturbances have led to some individuals being hesitant to seek help, even if the individuals or those close to them feel it is needed (Thornicroft, 2006). College students are a vulnerable population due to the likelihood that they will experience their first psychological disturbance during their college years (Eisenberg, Golberstein, & Gollust, 2007), making access to mental health care crucial. College student-athletes may be even more at-risk for certain psychological disturbances, based on their unique demands and environmental stressors they face (Pinkerton, Hintz, & Barrow, 1989). College student-athletes appear to be underutilizing the mental health services available to them on college campuses (Watson & Kissinger, 2007). Prior studies have shown that college student-athletes are less likely to seek out mental health treatment than other college students (Watson, 2005). The purpose of this study was to see whether or not college student-athletes would exhibit more negative attitudes than student-nonathletes towards mental illness. This study also compared the attitudes toward seeking psychological help between athletes and non-athletes (using a measure developed for use with student-athletes and student-nonathletes by Watson, 2005). Scales that measure social distance, perceived devaluation and discrimination towards mental illness were used to operationalize stigma towards mental illness. The scales this study used to measure social distance (Martin et al., 2000) and perceived discrimination towards mental illness (Link, 1987) had never been used before in a student-athlete population. The potential roles that athletic identity, race, and gender play in treatment-seeking comfort were also examined.
Author's abstract: Male athletes are less likely than female athletes to seek out support services (Barnard, 2016) despite experiencing a myriad of clinical and subclinical concerns including depression (Davoren & Hwang, 2014; Wolanin et al., 2016), anxiety (Davoren & Hwang, 2014), eating disorders (Joy et al., 2016; Sundgot-Borgen & Torstveit, 2004), and substance use (NCAA, 2018). To combat the increasing rates of mental health concerns, support services are becoming more readily available for collegiate athletes (Moore, 2016). However, despite the recent effort in increasing athlete mental health support, many male athletes in particular remain reluctant to seek out such services (Barnard, 2016). Prior research has focused extensively on prevalence rates of mental health-related concerns and help-seeking barriers that prevent collegiate athletes from seeking out help (Gulliver et al., 2012; Yousaf et al., 2015), yet research remains nonexistent in exploring these areas in male collegiate athletes from a practitioner’s perspective. Thus, the present study expanded on previous research by examining the experiences of 10 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I practitioners working with male athletes and what strategies are most effective in making support services more accessible for them. A generic qualitative approach was employed and three major themes were identified: (a) presenting concerns, (b) influences to help-seeking, and (c) strategies to increase accessibility. The results of the study indicate that male collegiate athletes present with a number of mental health- and sport-related concerns, but are more likely to seek out support for sport-related concerns. Furthermore, several help-seeking influences, including barriers and facilitators, affect a male athletes’ willingness to seek out such services including stigma, coach and sport environment, cultural factors, lack of time and flexibility, and the source of referral. Strategies to address the aforementioned influences include destigmatization, coach training, practitioner diversity, service awareness and education, relationship building, and additional practitioners. Practical implications and recommendations for future research are also discussed.
Student wellbeing is foundational to academic success. One recent survey of postsecondary educators found that nearly 80 percent believed emotional wellbeing is a "very" or "extremely" important factor in student success. Studies have found the dropout rates for students with a diagnosed mental health problem range from 43 percent to as high as 86 percent. While dealing with stress is a normal part of life, for some students, stress can adversely affect their physical, emotional, and psychological health, particularly given that adolescence and early adulthood are when most mental illnesses are first manifested. In addition to students who may develop mental health challenges during their time in postsecondary education, many students arrive on campus with a mental health problem or having experienced significant trauma in their lives, which can also negatively affect physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing. The nation's institutions of higher education are seeing increasing levels of mental illness, substance use and other forms of emotional distress among their students. Some of the problematic trends have been ongoing for decades. Some have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic consequences. Some are the result of long-festering systemic racism in almost every sphere of American life that are becoming more widely acknowledged throughout society and must, at last, be addressed. Mental Health, Substance Use, and Wellbeing in Higher Education lays out a variety of possible strategies and approaches to meet increasing demand for mental health and substance use services, based on the available evidence on the nature of the issues and what works in various situations. The recommendations of this report will support the delivery of mental health and wellness services by the nation's institutions of higher education.
ABSTRACT: Considering tennis star Naomi Osaka and Gymnast phenom Simone Biles’ withdrawal from major competitions, citing mental health concerns, the topic of athlete mental health has been prevalent in social discourse. The current study delves into mental health conditions (MHC) symptoms and risk factors, and compares student-athletes (SAs), non-athletes, and students in different race, sexual orientation, and gender groups while considering the attitudes and behaviors surrounding mental health treatment. Secondary data analysis the National Collegiate Health Assessment II (NCHA-II) were used to compare willingness to use mental health services and MHC risk factors, substance and alcohol use. Those reportedly “unwilling” to use mental health services also reported fewer MHCs, substance, and alcohol use. SAs reported being less likely to use mental health services and more likely to leave a current diagnosis untreated. Indigenous students reported much higher rates of MHC and suicidal tendencies than the sample. LGBTQ+ SAs reported lower frequency of most risk factors than LGBTQ+ non-athletes. Training for coaches and athletic trainers as well as targeted athletic department programming is recommended.
The opportunity for coaches to play an important role in supporting student-athlete mental health has been increasingly identified (Biggin et al., 2017; Gulliver et al., 2013; Henrikson et al., 2020). Findings suggest that coaches have the potential to help identify athletes who may benefit from mental health services, as well as foster an environment supportive of mental health and help-seeking (Bapat et al., 2009; Bissett et al., 2020). Recommendations have been set forth regarding how coaches may best engage in their role of supporting mental health, however, the literature lacks evidence of what collegiate coaches are actually doing to support student-athlete mental health, what they perceive their role to be, and barriers they face in fulfilling that role. The present study used a generic qualitative approach to explore the experiences of nine National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I coaches in supporting student-athlete mental health. Coaches discussed engaging in a variety of supportive behaviors consistent with recommendations for coaches. However, it appears coaches may lack engagement in supportive behaviors that take place after a referral is made. Coaches perceived multiple roles in supporting student-athlete mental health and discussed a variety of barriers including lack of self-efficacy and insufficient resources. Results of this study can be used to inform future research aimed at designing mental health education resources for coaches.