The Sidelines Effect on Minds: The Impact of Injury on Mental Health in National Collegiate Athletic Association Athletes

Injury and mental health are prevalent topics in among NCAA Division 1 (DI) student-athletes; however, there is limited literature regarding the impact of injury on student-athletes’ mental health. This study examined the impact of injury on social support and self-stigma and the relationship between athletic identity and self-stigma. A convenience sample survey yielded 101 responses from DI student-athletes. The survey was composed of demographic questions, Sarason Social Support Questionnaire, Self-Stigma for Seeking Self-Help Scale, and Athletic Identity Measurement Scale. There was no significant difference between injured and non-injured athletes in the mean scores of social support (t test p= 0.69) or self-stigma (t test p =0.92). There was a nonsignificant weak correlation between athletic identity and self-stigma. The results reveal that self-stigma is prevalent within this community, with an average score of 23.34 for all respondents. These conclusions can aid mental health professionals in providing support and education to student-athletes. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This study did not receive any funding ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: Ethics committee/IRB of Georgetown University gave ethical approval for this work I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors