Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

College of Education and Human Services

Department

Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling & Counseling Psychology

Committee Chair

Jeffrey Daniels

Committee Member

James Bartee

Committee Member

Christine Schimmel

Committee Member

Jack Watson

Abstract

This study focused on self-reported rates of anxiety and depression when first presenting to a college counseling center at a state university in the mid-Atlantic region. The self-reported measures are the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-62 (CCAPS-62) and Standardized Data Set (SDS), data forms that are supported through the electronic medical record system, Titanium. The data compared clinical populations of non-student-athletes and student-athletes to understand how the additional athlete identity may contribute to mental health. This study employed a between-subjects, quantitative-descriptive, cross-sectional, design to define and describe the nature of the relationships between one continuous dependent (anxiety or depression) variable and the two categorical independent variables (student-athlete vs. non-student-athlete and male vs. female). Differences in endorsed mental health rates of student-athletes by class status (i.e., freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) were also explored. An independent samples t-test was used to analyze four hypotheses and a two-way ANOVA was used to analyze two hypotheses. The results showed no statistically significant differences between anxiety and depression in student-athletes and their nonathlete peers. There were statistically significant differences between endorsed levels of anxiety and depression between male and female student-athletes, with female student-athletes endorsing higher rates of mental health concerns. There was no difference between endorsed levels of depression and class status. The results showed that there is a statistically significant difference in endorsed levels of anxiety and class status, with male and female student-athletes reporting higher levels of anxiety then their junior, sophomore, and freshman peers. Results may inform college counseling center staff and athletic department personnel about how to best support the mental health and well-being of collegiate student-athletes.

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