An Evaluation of the Effects of the Coach-Athlete Relationship on Athlete Mental Health

There is a demand to target the mental health needs of collegiate athletes, who are considered to be at-risk for physiological injuries, psychological disturbances, and academic problems. Due to the dynamic nature of the coach-athlete relationship, assessing the impact coaches have on athletes' psychological wellbeing is imperative to shift the way mental health is addressed within this population. The current study aims to address the relationship between perceived problems in the coach-athlete relationship and mental health of college students who participate in organized sport. I hypothesize that problems in the relationship have serious implications for athletes and mental health providers in that an athlete's perception of problems in the coach-athlete relationship will predict more mental health problems, substance use, and stress than athletes who do not identify problems in the coach-athlete relationship. In addition, the current study aims to understand gender related differences in mental health complaints, substance use, and perception of problems within the coach-athlete relationship. I hypothesize that male and female athletes will report differences in their experience of these three domains.