Date of Award
8-23-2024
Publication Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.H.K.
Department
Kinesiology
Keywords
Mental health;Psychological skills training;University;Varsity athletes
Supervisor
Krista Munroe-Chandler
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Mental health concerns in Canada continue to rise, this is especially apparent for young adults, and those attending University (Giamos et al., 2017). In comparison to non-athlete students, varsity athletes attending University must balance the same academic priorities as non-athletes, while also maintaining the responsibilities associated with their sport (Moreland et al., 2018). Due to this, varsity athletes can be faced with enhanced mental health concerns, such as increased symptoms of anxiety and depression (Neal et al., 2013). This is concerning, as varsity athletes often report low levels of mental health treatment seeking (Armstrong et al., 2015). Knowing this, the goal of the present study was to provide varsity athletes with an asynchronous online psychological skills training (PST) program with the goal to improve mental health. Athletes were given access to six PST modules, including the following skills: goal-setting, imagery, self-talk, routines, managing emotions, relaxation/psyching up (Ely, Munroe-Chandler, et al., 2023). The study followed a pre-post design, where athletes completed questionnaires prior to completing the modules, which measured overall mental health, psychological resilience, and satisfaction with life. Following the six-week period where athletes completed the modules, they were asked to complete the same series of questionnaires. A total of 26 varsity athletes completed the study. It was hypothesized that athletes would report improved mental health following the completion of the online modules (e.g., lower levels of anxiety). Following the intervention, there were no significant differences in scores on mental health measures or satisfaction with life. However, there was a statistically significant increase in mean scores on the brief resilience scale. Possible reasons for the lack of significant findings include a small sample size, as well as the asynchronous online delivery of PST amongst the busy schedules of athletes.
Recommended Citation
Kovacs, Aidan Michael, "The Impact of an Online Psychological Skills Training Program on the Mental Health of Varsity Athletes" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 9521.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/9521