Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the mental health counseling treatment-seeking behaviors of male football player student-athletes and the effects of stigma on those behaviors. Despite growing awareness of mental health challenges in collegiate athletics, male student-athletes continue to underutilize available mental health services at alarming rates. This study sought to address two research questions: what methods of mental health counseling most positively impact football player student-athletes, and what are the effects of stigma towards mental health counseling for football player student-athletes. A quantitative designed survey with supplementary qualitative questions was utilized, collecting data from 44 male football player student-athletes at a Division II NCAA institution during the spring 2026 practice season. Survey instruments included multiple choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions measuring awareness, comfort, preferences, and stigma related to mental health counseling and sports psychology services. Findings revealed three primary themes. First, a reinforcing cycle of knowledge gaps, masculine self-reliance norms, and non-utilization creates a self-sustaining barrier to treatment-seeking behavior. Second, coaching staff represent a significantly underutilized relationship-based pathway, as athletes report little fear of negative consequences from coaches yet rarely identify them as a mental health resource. Third, team-integrated sports psychology training emerged as the most preferred and most helpful delivery method across both quantitative and qualitative data. Results were analyzed in connection to Rosenstock's Health Belief Model and Luthans' Psychological Capital (PsyCap) framework. Implications for athletic administrators and coaching staff are discussed, with recommendations for future research exploring longitudinal and cross-sport applications of team-integrated mental health delivery models.
Date Capstone Completed
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Masters of Science in Leadership Education: Sport Management
Department
Education
Advisor
Dillon Martinez
Location
Winona, Minnesota
Recommended Citation
Haggerty, Conner, "Exploring Mental Health Counseling Programs for Student-Athletes: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Stigma Preventing Treatment-Seeking Behaviors." (2026). Leadership Education Capstones. 102.
https://openriver.winona.edu/leadershipeducationcapstones/102
Metadata Creation Responsibility
Conner Haggerty
