Investigating the immediate and sustained effect of online mental health literacy training in intercollegiate sport

Abstract

Lack of mental health literacy (MHL) is a growing concern in university populations, specifically within the athletic departments. Participating in varsity athletics puts student-athletes at risk for experiencing severe cases of mental distress. Previous research suggests there are multiple limitations when studying MHL intervention programs in sports. These limitations make it difficult to draw clinical significance of the interventions used as they lack rigour, consistency, and online variations. The purpose of this study is to address the gaps in the literature by assessing the effectiveness over time of an online mental health in sport module in improving mental health literacy, stigma, and help-seeking behaviours in a sample of Canadian intercollegiate student-athletes. Five (4 females, 1 male) completed the revised version of the multicomponent mental health literacy measure, self-stigma of seeking help, and the general help-seeking questionnaire prior to and after participating in the “Supporting Student-Athletes Mental Wellness” online module for the student-athlete. Calculation and graphing of the means demonstrated that there was an effect of participating in the module on mental health literacy which were sustained at the 2-month follow-up. Stigma was found to have an immediate improvement after participation in the module. There were no sustained effects found for stigma and help seeking after completion of the training.