MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH STUDENT ATHLETES

Abstract

Purpose: Provide research that will identify and analyze the critical mental health challenges that student athletes face and determine how the areas of the brain are being affected by it; in order to develop an evidence-based study proposal that could offer the University Athletics department and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) far more effective programs, trainings, and strategies for servicing student athletes. Background: In 2013, it was declared by the NCAA’s chief medical officer, Brian Hainline, that the number one health and safety concern in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is mental health. Aside from the pressure of being a collegiate athlete, young adults between the ages of 18-25 are already at a greater risk of dealing with Any Mental Illness (AMI) than individuals in any other age group. As a result, more and more student athletes are coming forward and addressing their challenges with mental health issues in order to seek help. Approach: The Sport Science Institute (SSI) has created the GOALS study which will supply NCAA policymakers and association affiliated institutions with detailed information on the athletics, academic and social experiences of student-athletes throughout all NCAA sports and their respective divisions. Following the analysis of the study data, a literature review of the book, “The Athletic Brain”, by Dr. Kenneth M. Heilman, will supply supplemental information regarding the many different crucial aspects of an athlete’s brain, such as their decision making, ability to learn motor skills, visual perception, balance, moods and emotions, and the detrimental effect of brain injuries.