A Social Ecological Framework: Counselors' Role in Improving Student Athletes' Help-Seeking Behaviors

Abstract

Student athletes' demands increase their risk for experiencing mental health concerns (Ryan et al., 2018). Risk factors for student athletes include coping with athletic success and failure; balancing dual roles; dealing with identity confusion; and experiencing isolation, injury, career termination, and burnout (Beauchemin, 2012; G. T. Brown, 2014). Using the social ecological model, we review factors that interfere with student athletes' help-seeking behaviors and propose recommendations for the ways counselors can address these barriers in the roles of educator, advocate, and therapist.