Abstract
The NCAA has recognized the growing mental health crisis among student-athletes over the last decade and responded by publishing best practices, passing related legislation, and conducting surveys with student-athletes and coaches regarding mental health. This qualitative study explored the perceptions and insights of 22 Division I student-athletes on current strategies and resources designed to provide the best mental health support to them, along with what they perceive as the barriers or resource deficiencies related to seeking help. This applied research was done in the context of the best practices outlined in the NCAA’s Interassociation Consensus Document: Mental Health Best Practices, along with the 2019 NCAA legislation guaranteeing student-athletes access to mental health services and resources, and through the lens of an emerging mental health literacy theoretical framework. The overarching themes that emerged included (a) the importance of coaches, (b) institutional/administrative culture, (c) barriers to seeking support (time, stigma, resources), and (d) triggers and root causes. Based on the pervasiveness of the importance of coaches as a standalone theme and a contributing factor cited by athletes in each of the other emergent themes, the focus and emphasis is on that theme in our results and subsequent discussion.
Recommended Citation
Boyer, Christopher C.; Bocarro, Jason; Johnson, Corey; Thompson-Spain, Austin; and Black, Lulu
(2026)
"NCAA’s Mental Health Best Practices Still Need Coaching: Perceptions of Division I Student-Athletes on Strategies and Support Offered by Their Universities,"
Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics: Vol. 19:
Iss.
1, Article 7.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51221/sc.jiia.2026.19.1.7
Available at:
https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/jiia/vol19/iss1/7