Author ORCID Identifier
0009-0003-7554-7027
Date of Award
Summer 8-8-2023
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Counseling and Psychological Services
First Advisor
Dr. Don E. Davis
Second Advisor
Dr. Catherine Y. Chang
Third Advisor
Dr. Han Na Suh
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Saundra Tabet
Abstract
Black male student-athletes represent a large percentage of those competing in NCAA varsity sports. Black male student-athletes are impacted by a variety of stereotypes and the pressure of achieving academically and athletically. Scholars have identified that athletes may resist mental health services because of stigma that exist in the athletic environment (Watson, 2005; Watson, 2006).Athlete identity and masculine gender socialization might play a large role in how black male student-athletes seek psychological help. This phenomenon can be explained by modified labeling theory (Link et al., 1989) and stereotype threat (Steele & Aronson, 1995). The mental health stigma that exists within athletics might present a barrier for athletes to seek psychological help, thus a more in-depth investigation into the mental health processes of black male student-athletes is needed. In Chapter 1, I explore conceptualizations of the need for a deeper understanding of how mental health stigma and racial identity may impair black athletes. In Chapter 2, I investigate how the dynamics of how masculine gender socialization and athlete identity interact in a group of Black male collegiate athletes. The study secured a sample of 728 Black male student-athletes to investigate the relationship between athlete identity, masculinity, mental health stigma, and help-seeking, utilizing a latent profile analysis and mixture regression analytic strategy. I explored three different hypotheses: (a) is a negative correlation between mental health stigma and help-seeking intentions (b) are there distinct groups of athletes when classified based on athlete identity and gender socialization, with a high-risk class of black male student-athletes Contrary to my prediction, mental health stigma and help-seeking intentions did not have an inverse relationship. The results of the latent profile analysis identified 5 distinct classes. Finally, I conclude with implications for counseling and suggestions for future research.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/35873820
Recommended Citation
Petion, Giscard, "All-American: An Investigation of the Relationship Between Athlete Identity, Masculinity, and Mental Health Stigma on Help-Seeking Intentions in Black College Student-Athletes." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2023.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/35873820
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