Document Type

Scholarship Project

Publication Date

Spring 4-24-2024

College/Unit

School of Medicine

Department/Program/Center

Occupational Therapy

Abstract

Collegiate athletes must take on multiple roles while they are attending a college or university, which can negatively impact their mental health. These student-athletes must not only follow the role demands and expectations of an athlete but also of a college student, all while emerging into adulthood in the college environment. This can be overwhelming for many collegiate athletes, and they often find it difficult to balance all their responsibilities to live a satisfactory life. Therefore, a role for occupational therapy exists in this realm. A quantitative study design using survey methods was chosen in hopes of identifying and describing the mental health characteristics in collegiate athletes of West Virginia that may be affecting their daily routines, thus determining a role for occupational therapy within this population. Forty-eight collegiate athletes completed the online, self-report survey, yielding results of occupational imbalance, perceived stigma surrounding the mental health of collegiate athletes, and the impact of support systems and the coaching staff. The participant responses indicated a need for occupational therapy services to support these collegiate athletes so they can experience a greater sense of occupational balance and improved quality of life.

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