High-Risk Drinking Characteristics in Collegiate Athletes

Abstract

The college athletes in this study reported high-risk alcohol use at percentages much higher than previously reported. The findings and practical application of the results are discussed.

Taking a Timeout to Ensure Well-Being: Social Work Involvement in College Sports

“…These themes match closely with previous research on barriers to seeking services (Brenner & Swanik, 2007;Ford, 2007a;Gill, 2014;Williams et al, 2008). All of these factors certainly could impact their comfort level with seeking services.…”

“…These statistically significant findings shed light on the binge drinking risks of college athletes. College athletes participating in a team sport (e.g., basketball) versus an individual sport (e.g., wrestling) were more likely to engage in high risk alcohol consumption (Brenner & Swanik, 2007). College athletes competing at the Division I level (78%) were more likely to participate in risky behaviors involving the usage of alcohol than college athletes at the Division II (76%) or Division III (66%) level (Brenner & Swanik, 2007).…”

“…This is vital as research clearly shows that competition level and profile of sport are potential predictive factors in the development of a psychosocial risk (Brenner & Swanik, 2007;Ford, 2007b;Green, 2001). For example, Division I college athletes have larger concerns about scholarship eligibility, the possibility of playing their sport at the professional level, and have greater pressure from coaches, teammates, and the media than do Division II and III college athletes (Brenner & Swanik, 2007). This potentially could make Division I college athletes less likely to seek help for services.…”

“…Several of the studies cited in the literature review use a convenience sample (Armstrong & Oomen-Early, 2009;Brenner & Swanik, 2007;Miller & Hoffman, 2009;Yusko et al, 2008). These studies collected data from one college or university located near the researcher(s).…”

Investigating the Prevalence and Risk Factors of Depression Symptoms among NCAA Division I Collegiate Athletes

“…The potential psychological effect of this stress is further highlighted by the findings on alcohol use among athletes [17]. College athletes are often reported to engage in higher and more risky alcohol use than their non-athlete peers [18][19][20], and it was found that one of the most frequently described reasons for alcohol use among athletes was to alleviate the stress of college life [17]. Due to the previous findings suggesting freshmen athletes experience unique stressors [13], this study will assess the impact of academic class on depression symptom severity.…”