Stress, Resilience, and Coping Resources as Predictors of Mental Health among Collegiate Athletes

Abstract

This quantitative correlational-predictive study examined the extent to which stress, resilience, and coping resources predict mental health among collegiate athletes in the United States. The theoretical foundation included the transactional model of stress and coping, the grounded theory of psychological resilience, and the two-continua model of mental health. The four research questions asked to what extent stress, resilience, and coping resources collectively and individually explain mental health. Stress was measured by the Perceived Stress Scale-10, resilience by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10, coping resources by the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28, and mental health by the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form. Primary data were collected via online survey from a convenience sample of 161 collegiate athletes. The results of a multiple linear regression showed that stress, resilience, and coping resources combined significantly predict mental health, F(3, 157) = 45.82, p < 0.001, adjusted R² = .457. Stress was found to have an inverse predictive relationship with mental health (β = -.384, t = –5.344, p < 0.001). Resilience was found to have a direct predictive relationship with mental health (β = .371, t = 4.066, p < 0.001). These findings can be used to inform athletes and coaches about factors influencing the mental health of collegiate athletes.