Abstract
Introduction: Mental health concerns among college students are increasing in severity. Researchers have shown that elite level athletes may be at a higher risk for suicide, with possible risks including injury, pressure, and substance abuse. Due to the high-stress levels of student athletes, this study was created to explore whether guided imagery (GI) can help student athletes reduce symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety.GI has been shown to decrease depression and anxiety among a variety of populations, but less work has explored the role that GI has in student athletes. Therefore, it was hypothesized that GI will reduce stress, and symptoms of negative mental health states as well as increase positive mental well-being in student athletes.
Methods: Data collection is ongoing, but it is expected that participants will be 100 (18-24 years old) student athletes from a division II, public university. Participants are asked to take an online survey with questions related to mental health, stress, positive well-being, and demographics. The questions will be presented before and after a 5-minute audio clip that will ask participants to engage in a guided imagery experience. During the guided imagery experience participants will be asked to engage in controlled breathing, focus on present thoughts, and engage in mindfulness-related tasks (e.g., focusing on breathing and emotions that relate to future experiences).Data will be analyzed using a repeated measures t-test to determine if stress, symptoms of negative mental health states, and positive mental well-being will change from before to after experiencing the guided imagery task. After the guided imagery audio clip, participants are also asked open-ended questions about the guided imagery tasks.
Results: It is expected that positive mental well-being will increase, and negative mental well-being will decrease with the use of one GI session. Additionally, comments will reflect positive experiences with GI, indicating that student athletes may use it in further competitions.
Discussion: The literature suggests that GI is effective in reducing pain, depression, stress, and anxiety. GI decreases negative mental health issues associated with competition for athletes by promoting relaxation which can lower negative stress responses. The benefit of using GIas a tool to help with negative mental health issues is that it is cost effective and can be used in a variety of diverse athletic settings. For these reasons, GI can be an effective tool for student athletes due to their busy schedules and recreational activities.
College
College of Liberal Arts
Department
Psychology
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Amanda M. Brouwer, Ph.D.
Second Advisor/Mentor
Mick Lynch
Location
Winona, Minnesota
Start Date
4-19-2023 9:00 AM
End Date
4-19-2023 10:00 AM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
1a=9am-10am
Poster Number
42
Included in
Changes in Depression, Stress, and Anxiety for Student Athletes: Using Guided Imagery
Winona, Minnesota
Introduction: Mental health concerns among college students are increasing in severity. Researchers have shown that elite level athletes may be at a higher risk for suicide, with possible risks including injury, pressure, and substance abuse. Due to the high-stress levels of student athletes, this study was created to explore whether guided imagery (GI) can help student athletes reduce symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety.GI has been shown to decrease depression and anxiety among a variety of populations, but less work has explored the role that GI has in student athletes. Therefore, it was hypothesized that GI will reduce stress, and symptoms of negative mental health states as well as increase positive mental well-being in student athletes.
Methods: Data collection is ongoing, but it is expected that participants will be 100 (18-24 years old) student athletes from a division II, public university. Participants are asked to take an online survey with questions related to mental health, stress, positive well-being, and demographics. The questions will be presented before and after a 5-minute audio clip that will ask participants to engage in a guided imagery experience. During the guided imagery experience participants will be asked to engage in controlled breathing, focus on present thoughts, and engage in mindfulness-related tasks (e.g., focusing on breathing and emotions that relate to future experiences).Data will be analyzed using a repeated measures t-test to determine if stress, symptoms of negative mental health states, and positive mental well-being will change from before to after experiencing the guided imagery task. After the guided imagery audio clip, participants are also asked open-ended questions about the guided imagery tasks.
Results: It is expected that positive mental well-being will increase, and negative mental well-being will decrease with the use of one GI session. Additionally, comments will reflect positive experiences with GI, indicating that student athletes may use it in further competitions.
Discussion: The literature suggests that GI is effective in reducing pain, depression, stress, and anxiety. GI decreases negative mental health issues associated with competition for athletes by promoting relaxation which can lower negative stress responses. The benefit of using GIas a tool to help with negative mental health issues is that it is cost effective and can be used in a variety of diverse athletic settings. For these reasons, GI can be an effective tool for student athletes due to their busy schedules and recreational activities.
