Academic Anxiety, Anxiety Sensitivity, and General Mental Health in Collegiate Student-Athletes

Author

• Finley Gabrielle Elkins Sims, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Date of Award

5-1-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Experimental Psychology

First Advisor

Joseph Hovey

Second Advisor

Scott D. Frankowski

Third Advisor

Liza Talavera-Garza

Abstract

Collegiate athletes’ mental health is on the decline, and they have unique experiences that can influence the prevalence of mental health struggles. This study examined academic anxiety, comorbid forms of anxiety, and predicting factors in 187 collegiate student-athletes across 29 U.S. colleges. Athletes had significantly higher levels of academic anxiety and general anxiety compared to a college nonathlete population. There were significant gender differences in athletes, with females having greater levels of anxiety sensitivity, academic anxiety, sport anxiety, general anxiety, depression, and a history of depression than male athletes. Gender, history of depression, anxiety sensitivity, and depression were significant predictors of academic anxiety, and history of depression, professional sport aspirations, anxiety sensitivity, general anxiety, and depression were significant predictors of sport anxiety. Lastly, athletes who plan on pursuing professional athletics had significantly lower levels of anxiety sensitivity, academic anxiety, sport anxiety, and suicide ideation compared to those who do not.

Comments

Copyright 2026 Finley Gabrielle Elkins Sims. All Rights Reserved. https://proquest.com/docview/3371082144

Recommended Citation

Sims, F. (2026). Academic Anxiety, Anxiety Sensitivity, and General Mental Health in Collegiate Student-Athletes [Master's thesis, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley]. ScholarWorks @ UTRGV. https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/1922