Student‐Athletes and Mental Health Experiences

Ryan, Heather; Gayles, Joy Gaston; Bell, Lydia

doi:10.1002/ss.20271

Cited by 32 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Although this may be generally true when it comes to physical health, it is not the case for all student athletes, and not true about their mental health (Etzel et al, 2006; Fletcher et al, 2012). Although participation in organized sports has many documented benefits (Beauchemin, 2012; G. T. Brown, 2014), student athletes face social isolation, identity conflict, career/vocational issues, and fear of failure and success (Ryan et al, 2018). Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that student athletes' demands increase their risk for experiencing certain mental and physical distress (e.g., eating disorders, anxiety, depression, overtraining, substance use; G. T. Brown, 2014; Gulliver et al, 2012; López & Levy, 2013).…”

Section: Risk Factors For Student Athletesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Researchers have found that student athletes are more susceptible than their nonathlete peers to certain mental health concerns given the intensive demands associated with being a collegiate athlete (G. T. Brown, 2014; Cosh & Tully, 2015). More specifically, student athletes are at a greater risk than their nonathlete counterparts of experiencing mental health problems such as substance use (particularly alcohol use) and social anxiety (Ryan et al, 2018). For example, Wolanin et al (2016) found that 19% of their student‐athlete participants ( N = 465) had alcohol misuse concerns and 34% struggled with anxiety or depression.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, Wolanin et al (2016) found that 19% of their student‐athlete participants ( N = 465) had alcohol misuse concerns and 34% struggled with anxiety or depression. The four most prevalent mental health problems student athletes experience are anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and substance use (Ryan et al, 2018).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Social Ecological Framework: Counselors' Role in Improving Student Athletes' Help‐Seeking Behaviors

Reich

Milroy

Wyrick

et al. 2021

J of College Counseling

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Student athletes' demands increase their risk for experiencing mental health concerns (Ryan et al., 2018). Risk factors for student athletes include coping with athletic success and failure; balancing dual roles; dealing with identity confusion; and experiencing isolation, injury, career termination, and burnout (Beauchemin, 2012; G. T. Brown, 2014). Using the social ecological model, we review factors that interfere with student athletes' help‐seeking behaviors and propose recommendations for the ways counselors can address these barriers in the roles of educator, advocate, and therapist.

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Section: Risk Factors For Student Athletesmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Social Ecological Framework: Counselors' Role in Improving Student Athletes' Help‐Seeking Behaviors

Reich

Milroy

Wyrick

et al. 2021

J of College Counseling

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show abstract

“…"Direct stressors (for example, time demands, performance pressures, coaching style); interactions with others in their environment that encourage risk behaviors and discourage individuals from seeking help; harassment and discrimination related to personal characteristics such as race/ethnicity or sexual orientation; and exposure to interpersonal or sexual violence" (Kroshus, 2014, p. 73) play a role. In addition to the growth of social media, which allows many to interact with student-athletes directly, these stressors result in an increase in stress and leave many feeling vulnerable (Eisenberg, Lipson, & Posselt, 2016;Kroshus, 2014;Ryan, Gayles, & Bell, 2018). Many of the stressors student-athletes face can be mitigated with effective communication.…”

Section: Current Social Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tackling Difficult Conversations: Student-Athletes, Mental Health, and Emerging Technology

Fraley¹,

Warner²,

Wilson³

et al. 2020

JADE

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Given the exponential growth of mental health issues on college campuses and the concerns regarding mental health disorders among elite level athletes, the NCAA (2016) has made recommendations to support and promote student-athlete mental health. However, to successfully address the increase in mental health issues, the development of effective communication skills is required. To address this, the researchers developed and built an immersive learning experience focused on "difficult conversations" using Mursion® technology. This pilot study contributes to this important conversation by analyzing the influence of an immersive experience on the student-athletes' communication skills. Using a quasi-experimental design, 79 NCAA Division I student-athletes took part in the study (40 control; 39 Mursion®). Both groups completed a pre-survey to assess their ability to deal with "difficult" scenarios, and a post-survey 3-5 weeks after the pre-test. Results indicate that Mursion® participants experienced, although not statistically significant, an increase in interpersonal communication competence. The results also demonstrated differences across gender and racial/ ethnic categories. This study provides the initial evidence that Mursion® is an effective, timely, cost-effective tool to enhance athletes' communication skills; consequently, it is critical to not only improving the student-athlete experience but also to addressing future student-athlete mental health and well-being.

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“…7 In addition to psychological distress, many mental illnesses have been identified as highly prevalent within the athletic population. 8–10 Anxiety and depression are among the most common mental health disorders with approximately 30% of student–athletes reporting insurmountable difficulties during the past month and almost 25% reporting clinically relevant levels of depressive symptoms. 11 , 12…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors associated with coach–athlete conversations about mental health in intercollegiate sport

Murphy

Sullivan

2021

International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching

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Increasing conversation about mental health is one way to decrease stigma and prevent/treat maladaptive processes within the context of sport. Due to their proximity and influence over athletes, coaches can increase conversation and change team culture. The objective of this study was to apply the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explore the factors associated with coach-athlete conversation about mental health. A total of 136 Canadian coaches completed a demographic questionnaire as well as a TPB-based survey measuring Attitudes, Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC), Social Norms and Intention. Intention was measured as Role perception, if a coach believed it was their role to be involved in athlete mental health. Behavior was measured as talking with an athlete(s) about mental health. Approximately 68% of coaches had spoken to athletes about mental health in the last season. The linear regression model predicted a significant amount (42.7%) of the variance in Intention ( p < .05) from the three TPB constructs. Logistic regression found a significant interaction effect of PBC and Intention on Behavior ( p < .01). Measured TPB construct scores were influenced by previous mental health training, personal experience with mental illness, age group and the act of talking ( p < .05). Although a promising amount of coaches spoke to athletes about mental health, improvement is still possible. Mental health training should continue to be promoted to all members of the athletic community. As attitude scores were generally positive, this training should potentially focus more on improving capabilities and social norms.

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Student‐Athletes and Mental Health Experiences

Cited by 32 publications

References 30 publications

A Social Ecological Framework: Counselors' Role in Improving Student Athletes' Help‐Seeking Behaviors

A Social Ecological Framework: Counselors' Role in Improving Student Athletes' Help‐Seeking Behaviors

Tackling Difficult Conversations: Student-Athletes, Mental Health, and Emerging Technology

Factors associated with coach–athlete conversations about mental health in intercollegiate sport

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