Gender Differences in Coping with Stress among Student-Athletes

The purpose of this study is to understand how collegiate student athletes cope
with stress and mental health concerns Specifically, I ask: (1) How does the role of
being a student-athlete affect one’s mental health? (2) Are there gender differences
in how student-athletes cope with stress? Using data from in-depth interviews with 10
male student-athletes and 10 female student-athletes, I found that the student-athlete
experience had both positive and negative impacts on an individual’s stress and overall
mental wellness. Student-athletes benefited from the collegiate athletic experience in
various ways—including career opportunities and learned skills like time-management.
However, student-athletes also endured large amounts of stress stemming from the role
conflict involved in sport participation and academic performance. This research clearly
proves the strong impact that gender roles and societal stigma has on the effects of role
conflict for mental well-being. I found that gender impacted the sources of stress and how
student-athletes understand the ways they are supposed to cope with stress. Studentathletes’
interpersonal relationships with teammates and coaches could either serve as a
positive buffer from emotional challenges—or intensify the emotional struggles an
athlete endures. Far too many athletes felt as though help-seeking behaviors signaled
weakness. The majority of the athletes felt as though they would be better off handling
emotional challenges on their own. Rather than identifying such mental health issues,
student-athletes addressed these concerns as personal problems that were not crucial to
their mental health. This research signifies the importance of understanding how studentathletes
cope with both stress and the challenges related to role conflict and mental illness
stigma.