Highs, Lows and Learning to Cope: The Mental Health of Canadian Student-Athletes

Abstract

Current research on Canadian university sports reveals that student-athletes experience higher psychological distress and are at greater risk for mental health issues than their peers in the general student body. Despite these findings, there is a notable lack of research focused on the mental health of Canadian student-athletes. This thesis builds on Canadian literature by exploring prominent topics and themes seen in American literature. The topics covered include stressors affecting student-athlete mental health, obstacles to accessing mental health care, and available treatment options. These themes are examined through three research papers structured as a sandwich dissertation. The first paper identifies the stressors affecting the mental health of Canadian student-athletes through a narrative approach. The findings report similar stressors identified in the existing literature, with participants identifying the pressures to perform and injury as significant mental health stressors. An additional stressor of maintaining academic success was identified as a mental health stressor that may be distinct from the American literature. The second paper explores the deterrents faced by Canadian university athletes regarding mental health care. Participants highlighted several barriers to mental health treatment for student-athletes, such as cultural and internalized stigma, along with insufficient availability and inconsistency of mental health services tailored for them. The third paper sought the opinions of the research participants to identify the institutional changes necessary to improve student-athlete mental health care. Participants underscored the critical necessity of athlete-specific mental health care provided by practitioners proficient in athletes' distinctive experiences. Additionally, they advocated for implementing mandatory mental health education for athletes and coaches. The findings across the three papers provide contextually valuable data on Canadian student-athletes that can encourage the review of existing mental health policies and treatment options so that we can increase the chances of helping such that mental health issues are less catastrophic.