Date of Award

Summer 2024

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Samuel McQuillin

Second Advisor

Kimberly Hills

Abstract

Peer and non-familial adult supportive relationships are a critical part of healthy adolescent development, positively influencing psychological, behavioral, and social domains (e.g., Panza et. al., 2020). Extracurricular sports activities are a source of peer (e.g., teammates) and adult (e.g., coaches) relationships and are associated with favorable impacts on mental health which may be an impactful protective factor given the rise of mental health crisis in youth today. The present study aimed to clarify the relationship mechanisms underlying the benefits of sports participation by examining and effecting social support has on mental health outcomes in adolescents engaged in sports. In doing so, I explored the direct and indirect connection between adolescent sport participation, social support, and mental health outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, self-esteem). Across all three models, sport participation significantly predicted access to mentors and increased peer acceptance, suggesting that higher levels of sport participation can relate to higher social support. The mediation model revealed a significant, indirect relationship between sport participation, social support (mentors and peer acceptance) for both depression and self-esteem. However, the mediation model for anxiety was only significant for peer acceptance. The mediation pathways were similar across genders. The results of these analysis promote the continued use of sport participation as a preventative method for mental health symptoms in youth.

Rights

© 2024, Olivia Schmitke

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