Looking forward to student-athlete mental health: Racial/ethnic trends from 2010 to 2015

Abstract

Objective

This study examined trends in functionally impairing depression, significant anxiety, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among college student-athletes across time, racial/ethnic group, and student-athlete standing.

Participants

The sample consisted of 39,840 White, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American, and Multiracial students who reported participating in “varsity” level college athletics in the past 12 months during the Spring 2010-2015 administrations of the American College of Health Association National College Health Assessment II.

Methods

Chi-square and difference in proportion tests compared mental health rates across time, racial/ethnic groups, and student-athlete status (student-athlete versus non-athlete).

Results

Findings suggested a lack of differences in mental health rates between 2010 and 2015, with the exception of a higher rate of anxiety for White student-athletes in 2015. Racial/ethnic comparisons pointed to relatively consistent heightened risks for depression and suicide concerns among Asian/Pacific Islander and Multiracial student-athletes compared to White student-athletes. Student-athlete status appeared most consistently to benefit White student-athletes, whereas there was evidence of potential liability of student-athlete status for Asian/Pacific Islander student-athletes.

Conclusions

Results make the case for adopting a racially/ethnically aware cultural lens when conceptualizing mental health risk and resilience among student-athletes.

Keywords:

• Anxiety
• depression
• disparities
• ethnicity
• mental health
• race
• student-athlete
• suicide

Acknowledgments

The opinions, findings, and conclusions presented/reported in this article/presentation are those of the author(s), and are in no way meant to represent the corporate opinions, views, or policies of the ACHA (ACHA). ACHA does not warrant nor assume any liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information presented in this article/presentation.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Arizona State University Institutional Review Board.

Data availability statement

Ownership of data is held by the American College Health Association (ACHA) and data can be publicly available to ACHA members at https://www.acha.org/NCHA/ACHA-NCHA_Data/Research_Projects_and_Data_Access/NCHA/Data/Research_Projects_and_Data_Access.aspx?hkey=e21ae975-78e6-4805-b247-e79564a42a9a.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this research was provided by the Arizona State University Global Sport Institute.