The Dual Burdens of School and Sport: Mental Health in Student Athletes within the "High Aspiration" Environment of Princeton University

Abstract

Princeton student athletes are at the center of three concurrent mental health crises. US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy pointed to mental health as the “defining public health crisis of our time”, where mental health rates in young adults are rising nationally. The second crisis is one at Princeton. There have been several student deaths in recent years, and mental health has been a common topic of discussion on campus. The third crisis is within college athletics. Collegiate athletes are in a vulnerable position to struggle with mental health, and athlete mental health has been a prominent topic discussed on the national stage. This thesis provides a literature review that is separated into three categories, including triggers, impacts, and contexts, or in other words, causes, outcomes, and other factors related to mental health, and connects these topics to sports. This thesis also provides information on transdiagnostic processes, which are mechanisms that present across disorders. These processes allow this thesis to address the root causes of mental health outcomes in Princeton student athletes. A novel survey was administered to student athletes at Princeton to provide an overview of the mental health landscape, in order to fill a gap in data surrounding this topic. A comparative analysis using data from the NCAA and the American Collegiate Health Association allowed for mental health rates to be compared between Princeton student athletes and athletes nationally. This analysis will allow the results to confirm or deny this study’s dual burden hypothesis, which is that student athletes at Princeton face worse mental health outcomes due to standards of high achievement in both academics and athletics. Questions that assess various transdiagnostic processes were also included in the survey, informing policy recommendations to address the root causes of mental health outcomes in Princeton athletes. Finally, a correlational analysis was conducted to determine which mental health topics are related, in order to confirm results from previous literature and further inform the policy suggestions that this thesis provides. This thesis found that, in comparison to athletes nationally, Princeton student athletes are more worried about academics and planning for the future, and are more overwhelmed, mentally exhausted, and stressed. Furthermore, Princeton student athletes agree at a lower rate that mental health is a priority to Princeton and the athletics department, agree at a lower rate that their coaches care about their mental well-being, and feel less comfortable talking about mental health with their coaches than athletes nationally. Almost 75% of Princeton athletes get seven or less hours of sleep per weeknight, and about 25% of Princeton athletes are burnt out. Policy recommendations are presented in three categories: regarding the institutional structure at Princeton, regarding key results of the present study, and regarding the findings on transdiagnostic processes. Some of these recommendations include bolstering the TIGERSPAW program, opportunities for the new Frist Health Center, improving coach/player relationships, distributing mental health resources specific to athletes, and implementing a mindfulness program within the Princeton athletics department.