Stigma, attitudes, and intentions to seek mental health services in college student-athletes

Abstract

Stigma, attitudes, and intentions to seek mental health services in college student-athletes Robert Hilliard Previous researchers have found several factors that act as barriers to college student-athletes seeking mental health services (López & Levy, 2013; Moore, 2017). One common factor throughout these studies is stigma, which is known to be associated with less favorable attitudes toward seeking help (Moreland et al., 2018). However, researchers have not explored how stigma and attitudes might influence intentions to seek counseling and actual help-seeking behaviors in student-athletes. Additionally, there is a dearth of research identifying the topics for which student-athletes are most willing to seek help. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to investigate predictors of mental health help-seeking as well as identify topics for which college student-athletes are most likely to seek help. The sample consisted of participants (N = 325) from three Division II and III universities. Findings indicated public stigma was significantly related to self-stigma, but social network stigma was not. Self-stigma was related to attitudes and attitudes were related to intentions. Using logistic regression analysis, self-stigma and attitudes were found to be significant predictors of help-seeking behavior. Specifically, both were associated with an increased likelihood of having sought mental health services in the past. Regarding help-seeking topics, drug problems, depression, and excessive alcohol use were the highest rated issues for which student-athletes were likely to seek help, whereas concerns about sexuality, difficulty with friends, and body image were rated the lowest. The results of this study can be used to help sport psychologists and other mental health staff develop programming that might lead to increased service use amongst collegiate student-athletes. Specifically, it appears that using a multifaceted approach to improving attitudes could have the most meaningful effect on encouraging service use. The College Population .

Comparing Mental Health of Athletes and Non-athletes as They Emerge From a COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown

“…The high prevalence of depression and substance abuse seen in athletes (particularly those performing at an elite level) during injuries or post-retirement would offer support to this claim (Alfermann et al, 2004 ; Appaneal et al, 2009 ). As well, the stigma toward mental health in sport and the sport-ethic demanding that athletes “put on a brave face” prevents some of those who are struggling from speaking out thus masking the true extent of mental illness in this population (Caddick and Ryall, 2012 ; Hilliard et al, 2020 ). We urge caution when advocating that sport participation develops resilience as there are evidently times when this is not the case.…”

“…Our study comes with a number of limitations. First, we relied heavily on the use of self-report measures which in the past has led to under-reporting of disorders due to the stigma surrounding mental health in sport (Bauman, 2016 ; Hilliard et al, 2020 ). We mitigated this risk by preserving participant anonymity throughout making under-reporting of symptoms unlikely.…”

Predictors of Professional Help-Seeking Intention Toward Depression Among Community-Dwelling Populations: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

“…People with depression with stigmatizing attitudes can experience self-abasement, shame, and social withdrawal ( 41 ), which hinders their ability to seek professional help ( 38 ). In addition, there is evidence that help-seeking attitude played a mediating role between stigma and PHSI ( 42 ). So, we propose that stigma can predict PHSI directly and may have an indirect effect on PHSI via professional help-seeking attitude (Hypothesis 3).…”

An exploration of the antecedents and mechanisms causing athletes’ stress and twisties symptom

“…To conclude, firstly, athletes' mental resilience comprised of emotional experiences and mental powers can be encouraged or boosted by multiple stakeholders such as coaches, parents, government and sports psychologists towards sustainable achievements ( Gorczynski et al., 2020 ; Henriksen et al., 2020 ; Hilliard et al., 2020 ; Murray et al., 2020 ; Tran, 2015 ). Meanwhile, the coach's role in building the mental toughness of athletes is tremendously critical; four themes are identified: the relationship between coach and athlete, coaching theory, training circumstance and strategies, and negative experience and influence ( Weinberg et al., 2016 ).…”

“…Family support plays a paramount role in functional-pleasant emotional reactions ( Cooper et al., 2018 ). Besides, young athletes show they're willing to find assistance for personal cases from coaches, family and friends ( Hilliard et al., 2020 ; Murray et al., 2020 ). However, lacking support and discouragement from them severely interrupt the mental resilience of athletes ( Cover et al., 2018 ; Hussey et al., 2019 ; Ward and Clair-Thompson, 2018 ).…”