Education, Higher--Administration Sports administration High school athletes Sports--Physiological aspects
High school athletes are not immune to mental health challenges. The persistent lack of state or national mental health guidelines for athletes has impacted high school athletes' abilities to access and apply resources in a mentally healthy manner. This can impact not only a high school athlete's career but can leave lasting effects on collegiate opportunities or adulthood. This narrative study explored the lived experiences of recently graduated high school athletes on mental health. The researcher sought to understand the former high school athletes' awareness, access, and application of athlete mental health resources. Specifically, this research sought to understand the lived experiences of the barriers to seeking help, its impact on their athletic career, and the needed resources to better help future generations of high school athletes. The overarching question that guided this study was: What stories do former high school student-athletes tell about their lived experiences dealing with mental health issues? Three sub-questions guided the study: (a) How do student-athletes describe their awareness of the mental health issues related to being an athlete? (b) How do student-athletes describe their access to mental health resources? (c) What stories do high school athletes tell about using the mental health resources and self-management strategies available to them? The researcher administered a demographic information form and conducted two one-on-one semi-structured interviews along with a researcher's journal with eight participants. Following the data collection process, major themes were analyzed and presented. The study's findings, results, interpretation, and conclusions led to the development of recommendations for future high school athletes.
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Details
Title
Reflections of Former High School Athletes on the Mental Health Experience
Creators
Kendall Anne Yarosh
Contributors
Cameron Kiosoglous (Advisor)
Awarding Institution
Drexel University
Degree Awarded
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Publisher
Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Number of pages
xv, 182 pages
Resource Type
Dissertation
Language
English
Academic Unit
School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University