Student-Athlete Mental Health: A Case Study of Mental Health Programs in Power 5 Conference Athletics Departments

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Student Athletes; Mental Health; Mental Health Programs; College Students; Health Promotion; Student Needs; Prevention; Private Colleges; Public Colleges; Athletics; Departments; Program Evaluation; Social Bias; Negative Attitudes; Help Seeking; Cooperation

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Mental health concerns on college campuses are at an all-time high. Within the student-athlete population, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) reported suicide as the third leading cause of death (Ching, 2018). Furthermore, in a survey conducted by the NCAA of more than 37,000 student-athletes during the month of April 2020, 50% of female respondents and 31% of male respondents indicated they "constantly" or "most every day" felt overwhelmed by all they had to do (NCAA, 2020). While mental health concerns continue to grow among the student-athlete population, student-athletes continue to routinely underutilize mental health resources (Wahto et al., 2016; Watson, 2005). In January 2019, the Power 5 conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC) implemented legislation requiring all member institutions make mental health resources available for student-athletes (Hosick, 2019). Additionally, the NCAA published a best practices document to guide schools in the development of mental health programming for student-athletes. To date, little information is available as to how institutions are implementing this required legislation or implementing the NCAA best practices. Utilizing a public health model and the NCAA Layers of Care model as a conceptual framework, this exploratory multiple case study investigates how athletics departments in Power 5 conferences assess the mental health needs of student-athletes, promote positive health and healthy environments, implement prevention strategies for mental health concerns, and evaluate their mental health programs for student-athletes. Interviews and document analysis with participants from one public or private institution in each Power 5 conference serve as the data collection for this research. This study contributes to closing a gap in research regarding student-athlete mental health programs and services offered by athletics departments. Findings suggest embedded mental health practitioners focus on being visible in the department and educating staff and student-athletes in an effort to reduce stigma associated with help-seeking behavior for mental health concerns and to promote a positive mental health environment. Findings also suggest collaboration between mental health providers, athletics department staff, and campus constituents is fundamentally important to the promotion of mental wellness among student-athletes. Furthermore, this research indicates as mental health needs among student-athletes continue to grow, mental health providers are concerned about their ability to meet the increase in needs while remaining visible in the department and continuing to provide mental health education for student-athletes and coaches. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

As Provided

2024

ED647704