How Revelations of Mental Health Issues Harm Recruitment of College Student-Athletes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17161/jis.v18i3.22536Keywords:
college student-athlete, athlete recruitment , mental healthAbstract
Mental health issues (MHI) among student-athletes have increased in recent years, yet their true prevalence may be underestimated due to the negative consequences surrounding disclosure for athletes. Coaches play a crucial role in providing social support and reducing stigma, making their perspectives imperative to consider when studying student-athlete mental health. This study investigates how college coaches perceive mental health-related information in the transfer recruiting process. Through a 2 X 2 between-subjects online experiment (n = 155), we explore how student-athletes are perceived when their previous college coach does or does not indicate the athlete experiences MHI. Findings indicate a bias in how coaches report the performance of athletes with MHI, despite recognizing the need to avoid discrimination. These results highlight the dual challenge coaches face in managing their implicit biases and inclusive recruitment processes.Downloads
References
Abrams, Z. (2022, October 12). Student mental health is in crisis. Campuses are rethinking their approach. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/10/mental-health-campus-care
ACSM. (2021). The American College of Sports Medicine Statement on Mental Health Challenges for Athletes. American College of Sports Medicine. https://www.acsm.org/news-detail/2021/08/09/the-american-college-of-sports-medicine-statement-on-mental-health-challenges-for-athletes
Adams, A. (2020). Health behaviour in international student-athletes. Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2147. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/2147
American College Health Association. (2021). American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment III. Reference Group Executive Summary Fall 2021. https://www.acha.org/documents/ncha/NCHA-III_FALL_2021_REFERENCE_GROUP_EXECUTIVE_SUMMARY.pdf
Andone. D. (2022, March 13). Stanford soccer star’s death renews questions about student-athletes’ mental health. The pressures they face present distinct challenges, experts say. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/13/us/student-athlete-mental-health-challenges/index.html
Bauman, N. J. (2016). The stigma of mental health in athletes: are mental toughness and mental health seen as contradictory in elite sport?. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(3), 135-136. https://doi:10.1136/bjsports-2015-095570
Beebe, K. E., & Petrie, T. A. (2024). On the Frontline of Athlete Mental Health: The Mental Health Literacy of NCAA Coaches. The Sport Psychologist, 1(aop), 1-10. https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/tsp/38/1/article-p38.xml
Bissett, J. E., Kroshus, E., & Hebard, S. (2020). Determining the role of sport coaches in promoting athlete mental health: A narrative review and Delphi approach. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 6(1). https://doi:10.1136/bmjsem-2019-000676
Brown, G. T., Hainline, B., Kroshus, E., & Wilfert, M. (2014). Mind, body and sport: Understanding and Supporting Student-athlete Mental Wellness. Indianapolis, IN: NCAA Publications.
Castaldelli-Maia, J. M., e Gallinaro, J. G. D. M., Falcão, R. S., Gouttebarge, V., Hitchcock, M. E., Hainline, B., Reardon, C. L., & Stull, T. (2019). Mental health symptoms and disorders in elite athletes: A systematic review on cultural influencers and barriers to athletes seeking treatment. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 53(11), 707-721. https://10.1136/bjsports-2019-100710
Cain Miller, C. (2021, November 17). What young people say about mental health. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/11/17/upshot/young-people-mental-health-survey.html
Copeland, W. E., McGinnis, E., Bai, Y., Adams, Z., Nardone, H., Devadanam, V., Rettew, J., & Hudziak, J. J. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on college student mental health and wellness. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 60(1), 134-141. https://doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2020.08.466
Corrigan, P. (2004). How stigma interferes with mental health care. American Psychologist, 59(7), 614-625. https://doi:10.1037/0003-066X.59.7.614
Cutler, B. A., & Dwyer, B. (2020). Student-athlete perceptions of stress, support, and seeking mental health services. Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics, 13, 206-226.
Deatherage, H. R. (2022). Examination of Factors Impacting the Stigmatization and Attitudes towards and Self-reported Utilization of Mental Health Resources in Division I Collegiate Athletes. Doctoral dissertation. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. https://doi.org/10.17615/xkrg-c004
Duffy, M. E., Twenge, J. M., & Joiner, T. E. (2019). Trends in mood and anxiety symptoms and suicide-related outcomes among U.S. undergraduates, 2007–2018: Evidence from two national surveys. Journal of Adolescent Health, 65(5), 590-598. https://doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.04.033
Edwards, A. L., & Diers, C. J. (1962). Social desirability and the factorial interpretation of the MMPI. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 22(3), 501-509.
Eckenrod, M. R., Hill, H., Thompson, M., Neelis, L. A., & Donahue, P. T. (2023). National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I assistant coaches’ understanding and use of mental performance and mental health services. The Sport Psychologist, 1(aop), 1-11.
Kopko, E. (2019, January 10). The growing impact of diversity and inclusion within professional sports - Part 1. Bold Business. https://www.boldbusiness.com/human-achievement/reasons-why-professional-sports-diversity-inclusion-vital/
Gallup. (2021). The state of the world’s children 2021. On my mind: Promoting, protecting, and caring for children’s mental health. Unicef. https://www.unicef.org/media/108036/file/SOWC-2021-executive-summary.pdf
Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. Simon and Schuster Inc.
Gohel, D., & Skintzos, P. (2023). Flextable: Functions for Tabular Reporting (0.9.1). https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=flextable
Greenstein, L. (2017, October 11). 9 Ways to Fight Mental Health Stigma. National Alliance on Mental Health. https://www.nami.org/blogs/nami-blog/october-2017/9-ways-to-fight-mental-health-stigma
Greenwald, A. G., & Banaji, M. R. (1995). Implicit social cognition: Attitudes, self-esteem, and stereotypes. Psychological Review, 102(1), 4.
Greenwald, A. G., Nosek, B. A., & Banaji, M. R. (2003). Understanding and using the implicit association test: I. An improved scoring algorithm. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(2), 197.
Gucciardi, D. F., Hanton, S., & Fleming, S. (2017). Are mental toughness and mental health contradictory concepts in elite sport? A narrative review of theory and evidence. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 20(3), 307-311.
Heilman, M. E. (1980). The impact of situational factors on personnel decisions concerning women: Varying the sex composition of the applicant pool. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 26(3), 386-395.
Henry, C. (2023). College sports not immune to mental health challenges. NCAA. https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/5/4/media-center-college-sports-not-immune-to-mental-health-challenges.aspx
Hilliard, R. C., Watson, J. C. 2nd., & Zizzi, S. J. (2022). Stigma, attitudes, and intentions to seek mental health services in college student-athletes. Journal of American College Health, 70(5), 1476-1485. https://doi:10.1080/07448481.2020.1806851
Hsieh, H. F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277–1288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732305276687
Hutchinson, M., Steven, H., Johnson, B. J., Hagans, Mir., & Schaefgen, C. (2025). The Unseen Struggles of Being a Student Athlete. Duke: Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. https://blackinblue.trinity.duke.edu/unseen-struggles-being-student-athlete-0
Kroshus, E., Wagner, J., Wyrick, D. L., & Hainline, B. (2019). Pre-post evaluation of the “Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Wellness” module for college coaches. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 13(4), 668-685. https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.2018-0082Lee, J. J., & Rice, C. (2007). Welcome to America? International student perceptions of discrimination. Higher Education, 53(3), 381-409.
Liew, G. C., Kuan, G., Chin, N. S., & Hashim, H. A. (2019). Mental toughness in sport: Systematic review and future. German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research, 49(4), 381-394.
Linder, D. E., Brewer, B. W., Van Raalte, J. L., & De Lange, N. (1991). A negative halo for athletes who consult sport psychologists: Replication and extension. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 13(2), 133-148. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.13.2.133
Linder, D. E., Pillow, D. R., & Re, R. R. (1989). Shrinking jocks: Derogation of athletes who consult a sport psychologist. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 11(3), 270-280. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.11.3.270
Lipson, S. K., Zhou, S., Abelson, S., Heinze, J., Jirsa, M., Morigney, J., Patterson, A., Singh, M., & Eisenberg, D. (2022). Trends in college student mental health and help-seeking by race/ethnicity: Findings from the national healthy minds study, 2013–2021. Journal of Affective Disorders, 306, 138-147. https://doi10.1016/j.jad.2022.03.038
López, R. L., & Levy, J. J. (2013). Student athletes' perceived barriers to and preferences for seeking counseling. Journal of College Counseling, 16(1), 19-31. https://doi.10.1002/j.2161-1882.2013.00024.x
Matthews, R. A., Pineault, L., & Hong, Y.-H. (2022). Normalizing the use of single-item measures: Validation of the single-item compendium for organizational psychology. Journal of Business and Psychology, 37(4), 639–673. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-022-09813-3
McDowell, E. (2021, June 6). 12 athletes who’ve spoken about their mental health struggles. Insider. https://www.insider.com/athletes-mental-health-struggles-depression-2021-6
Merz, Z. C., Perry, J. E., Brauer, A. H., Montgomery, T. L., Shulze, J., & Ross, M. J. (2020). The cost of mental illness: The public’s derogation of athletes with psychological distress. Stigma and Health, 5(4), 442-450. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000213
Nattiv, A., Puffer, J. C., & Green, G. A. (1997). Lifestyles and health risks of collegiate athletes: A multi-center study. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 7(4), 262-272.
NCAA. (2016). Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Wellness. Sport Science Institute NCAA. https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2016/11/3/supporting-student-athlete-mental-wellness.aspx
NCAA. (2019). NCAA GOALS Study. NCAA. https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2013/11/20/ncaa-goals-study.aspx
NCAA. (2022). NCAA student-athletes surpass 520,000, set new record. NCAA. https://www.ncaa.org/news/2022/12/5/media-center-ncaa-student-athletes-surpass-520-000-set-new-record.aspx#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20student%2Dathletes,Sponsorship%20and%20Participation%20Rates%20Report
NCAA. (2023a). Current Findings on Student-Athlete Mental Health. NCAA Student-Athlete Health and Wellness Study (December 2023). https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/research/wellness/Dec2023RES_HW-MentalHealthRelease.pdf
NCAA. (2023b). NCAA coaches report increased focus on mental health, detail personal challenges. NCAA. https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/1/26/media-center-ncaa-coaches-report-increased-focus-on-mental-health-detail-personal-challenges.aspx
NCAA. (2024a). Mental Health Best Practices: Understanding and Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Health. NCAA Sport Science Institute. https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/ssi/mental/SSI_MentalHealthBestPractices.pdf
NCAA. (2024b). NCAA Demographics Database. NCAA. https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2018/12/13/ncaa-demographics-database.aspx
NCAA Research. (2019). Trends in the Participation of International Student-Athletes in NCAA Division I and II. NCAA. https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/research/demographics/2019RES_ISATrendsDivSprt.pdf
NCAA Research. (2023). International Student-Athlete Participation. NCAA. https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2018/3/21/international-student-athlete-participation.aspx
Newell, E. M. (2015). International student–athlete adjustment issues: Advising recommendations for effective transitions. The Journal of the National Academic Advising Association, 35(2), 36-47. https://doi:0.12930/NACADA-14-015
Palomba, A. (2024). Understanding the NCAA Transfer Portal and Recent Rule Changes. Sports Recruits. https://blog.sportsrecruits.com/2024/04/30/understanding-the-ncaa-transfer-portal-and-recent-rule-changes/
Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods. SAGE Publications.
Pescosolido, B. A., Halpern-Manners, A., Luo, L., & Perry, B. (2021). Trends in public stigma of mental illness in the US, 1996-2018. JAMA Network Open, 4(12), e2140202.
Pichler, E. M., Ewers, S., Ajdacic‐Gross, V., Deutschmann, M., Exner, J., Kawohl, W., ... & Claussen, M. C. (2023). Athletes are not at greater risk for death by suicide: A review. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 33(5), 569-585.
Powers, M., Fogaca, J., Gurung, R., & Jackman, C. (2020). Predicting student-athlete mental health: Coach–athlete relationship. PSI CHI Journal of Psychological Research, 25(2), 172-180. https://doi:10.24839/2325-7342.jn25.2.172
Pritchard, M., & Wilson, G. (2005). Comparing sources of stress in college student athletes and non-athletes. Athletic Insight: The Online Journal of Sports Psychology, 5(1), 1-8. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242515464_Comparing_Sources_of_Stress_in_College_Student_Athletes_and_Non-Athletes
Radford, C. (2022). Student-athletes report fewer mental health concerns. NCAA. https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/12/13/media-center-student-athletes-report-fewer-mental-health-concerns.aspx
R Core Team. (2023). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing (4.2.3). R Foundation for Statistical Computing. https://www.R-project.org/
Rao, A. L., & Hong, E. (2020). Mental health in the athlete: Modern Perspectives and Novel Challenges for the Sports Medicine Provider. Springer.
Revelle, W. (2023). Psych: Procedures for Psychological, Psychometric, and Personality Research (2.3.3). https://personality-project.org/r/psych-manual.pdf
Schauberger, P., & Walker, A. (2023). Openxlsx: Read, Write and Edit xlsx Files (4.2.5.2). https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=openxlsx
Schmuckler, M. A. (2001). What is ecological validity? A dimensional analysis. Infancy, 2(4), 419-436.
Siefert, K. (2022, March 3). 5 NCAA athletes die by suicide since March, Columbus experts address youth mental health. ABC6. https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/five-college-athletes-die-by-suicide-since-march-columbus-experts-address-mental-health
Stanley, D. (2021). apaTables: Create American Psychological Association (APA) style tables (2.0.8). https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=apaTables
Streno, M., Poczwardowski, A., Welton-Mitchell, C., & Moody, E. (2020). International student-athlete transition into collegiate sport in the United States. Health Psychology Report, 8(1), 38-46.
The Americans with Disabilities Act. (2024). The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects people with disabilities from discrimination. U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. https://www.ada.gov
Tsoukalas, T., Knowlton, J. (2024). Alabama transfer portal tracker. Tide Illustrated. https://alabama.rivals.com/news/alabama-transfer-portal-tracker-terrence-ferguson-enters-the-portal
Turick, R., Feller, R., & Blom, L. (2020). Welcome to America! How can athletic departments better assist international student-athletes with their transition into the American university setting?. Journal of Emerging Sports Studies, 4(1).
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2016). Depression, PTSD, & Other Mental Health Conditions in the Workplace: Your Legal Rights. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/depression-ptsd-other-mental-health-conditions-workplace-your-legal-rights
Vaughan, R. S., Hagyard, J. D., Edwards, E. J., & Jackson, R. C. (2021). Reflection-impulsivity in athletes: A cross-sectional and longitudinal investigation. European Journal of Sport Science, 21(10), 1436-1447.
Velasco, H. (2017, July 21). Few student-athletes with mental illness seek help. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/college/2017/07/21/few-student-athletes-with-mental-illness-seek-help/37433787/
Wickham, H., Averick, M., Bryan, J., Chang, W., McGowan, L. D., … & Yutani, H. (2019). Welcome to the Tidyverse. Journal of Open Source Software, 4(43), 1686. https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.01686
Wickham, H., & Seidel, D. (2022). Scales: Scale functions for visualization (1.2.1). https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=scales
Winship, C., & Mare, R. D. (1992). Models for sample selection bias. Annual Review of Sociology, 18(1), 327-350.
Yakushko, O., Watson, M., & Thompson, S. (2008). Stress and coping in the lives of recent immigrants and refugees: Considerations for counseling. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 30, 167-178.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Maria Budin, Lennie Waite, Dillon Stewart, Elisabeth Silver, Michelle R Hebl
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright is held by the authors.
