When the Game Stands Tall

Abstract

The current discussion reviews the extant literature on student-athlete mental and advocates for a social work perspective in addressing the needs of this uniquely at-risk, and vulnerable population. Sports social work practitioners focus on the personal and contextual influences that potentially affect athlete mental health and well-being. In this way, social work is uniquely qualified to address challenges of the athletic experience and provide athletes with the resources and support needed both on and off the field to thrive in all areas of life.

“Is it Hard Out Here for a Player?”: Understanding the Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Athletic Identity Among College Student Athletes

“…These efforts would all be with the goal of creating safe opportunities to promote identity exploration. Professionals trained in trauma-informed mental health practice could assist athletes in developing skills and engaging in constructive corrective experiences to cope with challenges as a part of a multidisciplinary athletic staff (Bennett, 2022(Bennett, , 2023. While college athletes are less comfortable seeking counseling services than other academic or athletic resources, especially Division I athletes (Moore, 2016), Daltry et al (2023) suggests if athletes, athletic personnel, and coaches feel understood and counselors are knowledgeable about athletic culture, they may be more likely to refer to and seek out mental health services.…”

It’s a thin line: Mental health and mental toughness within the context of Hughes and Coakley’s Sport Ethic Model

“…The ecological perspective is based on the premise that athletes are best understood in the context of the various systems in which they live (Bronfenbrenner, 1977;Moore & Gummelt, 2019). This framework acknowledges micro, mezzo, and macro level factors and examines person-in-environment transactions and how said transactions may impact student-athlete mental health and well-being (Bennett, 2023). This approach broadens understanding of the multiple factors that ultimately influence athlete behavior.…”