Athlete Identity and Mental Health Among NCAA Division III Student-Athletes

Abstract

Student-athletes often identify with the athlete role and demonstrate high levels of athlete identity. High athlete identity leads to many unintended consequences such as low career maturity and difficulty adapting to a life beyond sport. Additionally, high athlete identity often leads to mental health concerns among the student-athlete population. Informed by self-categorization theory (Turner, 1982), the purpose of this study was to explore athlete identity and mental health among NCAA Division III student-athletes. The Athlete Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) and The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 were completed by 332 NCAA Division III student-athletes. The results demonstrated that Division III student-athletes did not identify highly with the athletic role and did not show concerning levels of anxiety, depression, and/or stress. Further, no relationship between athlete identity and mental health was found. This study strives to provide a keen insight into the athlete identity and mental health of Division III student-athletes in hopes of better understanding this population.