Title:

The Relationship Between Collegiate Student-Athlete Gender Identity and Mental Health

Background Among NCAA student-athletes, 48% of females and 31% of males report depressive symptoms and/or anxiety (Moreland et al., 2018). Additional research (e.g., Kulick et al., 2019) indicates that LGBTQ+ student-athletes not only participate in athletics at lower rates (compared to heterosexual and cisgender peers) and indicate feeling more vulnerable in athletics settings. However, limited research has characterized the complexities of mental health and student-athlete gender identity. The present study examined the association between mental health and gender identity. Method A total of 320 collegiate student-athletes from eight universities participated in the study. The majority identified as female (n=223, 69.9%), followed by male (n=85, 26.6%) and gender expansive (n=11, 3.5%). The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) was used to measure depression, anxiety, and stress. To test differences of means regarding mental health indicators across groups of different gender identities, three one-way ANOVA analyses were employed. Post-hoc tests were performed to identify significant differences between pairs of means. Results Female student-athletes had highest average levels of depression (M=1.85, SD=0.72), anxiety (M=1.7, SD=.063), and stress (M=1.98, SD=0.66), compared to student-athletes identifying as males or gender expansive. Between females and males, the difference regarding the mean level of stress was significant (p<.05) but there was only a weak association (η2=.02). Further, student-athletes who identified as gender expansive had higher median levels of depression (Mdn=1.85) and stress (Mdn=2) than those who identified as either male or female. Implications The present study observed that gender identity is associated with differences in mental health. Athletic departments should consider offering gender specific mental health resources and support. Moreover, given research (DeFoor et al., 2018) has indicated that those receiving mental health treatment may do favorably if the provider’s gender identity matches that of the client’s, athletic departments should consider such information when hiring mental health professionals. DeFoor, M. T., Stepleman, L. M., & Mann, P. C. (2018). Improving wellness for LGB collegiate student-athletes through sports medicine: a narrative review. Sports medicine-open, 4, 1-10. Kulick, A., Wernick, L. J., Espinoza, M. A. V., Newman, T. J., & Dessel, A. B. (2018). Three strikes and you’re out: Culture, facilities, and participation among LGBTQ youth in sports. Sport, Education and Society. Moreland, J. J., Coxe, K. A., & Yang, J. (2018). Collegiate athletes' mental health services utilization: A systematic review of conceptualizations, operationalizations, facilitators, and barriers. Journal of sport and health science, 7(1), 58-69.

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