Abstract
Canadian student-athletes are not immune to mental health struggles. Due to the increased demands of balancing academic and athletic stressors, evidence suggests that more than 1 in 5 Canadian student-athletes suffers from elevated mental disorder symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression) during an academic year. Accurate assessments of mental health symptoms, effective referral procedures, and targeted interventions are among important steps to provide better mental health care for Canadian student-athletes. In this symposium, we present research addressing these steps using innovative research methods in underexplored populations. Maurin and colleagues provide novel insights into the prevalence of mental health disorders in NextGen student-athletes, a population which has been largely absent from the mental health literature. Nicholson and colleagues reveal that non-anonymized screenings in Canadian student-athletes are prone to underreporting, using an innovative mixed-methods approach with deception. Using a new theoretical lens (i.e., the dual continuum model), Celebre and Sullivan explore whether impediments in academic success can be attributed to mental health groupings. Harenberg et al. show a large variability in referral procedure practices at Canadian USport institutions, highlighting the need for more detailed guidelines how to assess mental health symptoms in student-athletes. Lastly, Sullivan and colleagues share important insights from an interventional trial, which may inform future research. Taken together, the symposium delivers novel information using a variety of perspectives on mental health in Canadian student-athletes. Important applied implications will be discussed, including how to increase the effectiveness of the mental health assessments and interventions in Canadian student-athletes.
