This presentation overviews the findings from the Fall 2020 SOC196/396 (Sport and Mental Health) course project focused on evaluating the existing mental health policies for student-athletes in the NCAA Power 5 Conference schools. Students were responsible for assisting with data collection and analysis for 2-3 schools each out of the 65 total member schools. The methodology involved a scoring system, where student researchers used a list of 10 guiding questions for data collection and analysis to rate specific aspects of the university's mental health policy. Collectively, the class worked to identify ratios of mental health care providers to students, all relevant policies for student-athletes seeking mental health services, and any information regarding resources specifically aimed at LGBTQ+ and/or students of color. While this project is still ongoing with several SOC 390 independent study students, the preliminary findings point to a wide range of services and policies, or lack thereof, and demonstrates a need for a better standard from the NCAA.
Undergraduate Contributors: Dustin Epstein, Cheyenne Petersen, Julia Ilecki, Katilin Ratcliff, Rusi Dong
