COVID-19 Pandemic Impact: Comparing Undergraduate Student-Athlete Mental Wellness to Non-Athlete Peers

Angie L. Miller & Chandler K. Hawkins   |    Volume 19 Issue 1  |   

Understanding COVID-19’s negative impact on undergraduate mental well-being, this study investigates whether student-athletes reported significantly different levels of increase in mental health concerns as compared to non-athletes. Using data from the 2021 National Survey of Student Engagement’s “Coping with COVID” module, the sample includes athlete and non-athlete responses from 7,274 first-year students and 5,414 seniors attending 34 NCAA-member institutions. Using Ordinary Least Squares regression analyses, the relationship between student and institutional characteristics, athlete status, and mental health was explored. Findings reveal athlete status to be a significant negative predictor of increases in mental health issues, even after controlling for other student identities, experiences, and institutional characteristics. Implications for campus practitioners are discussed.

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