Citation

Jones TV. J. Ment. Health 2016; 25(5): 422-427.

Affiliation

School of Social Work, Clark Atlanta University , Atlanta , GA , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Informa Healthcare)

DOI

10.3109/09638237.2015.1124384

PMID

26732829

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hypermasculinity may impact elite American football players' willingness to seek help for mental health problems. AIMS: This quantitative study sought to identify what set of characteristics, including hypermasculinity, best predicts elite football players' mental health attitudes.

METHOD: The Attitude Scale for Mental Illness, Inventory of Attitudes toward Seeking Mental Health Services, and Athlete's Perception of Masculinity Scale were self-administered to 112 football players from the NFLPA and the Washington, DC metro area.

RESULTS: Canonical correlation analysis was used to develop a regression model that best predicts elite football players' mental health attitudes. This study found that though the athletes have high levels of hypermasculinity (x = 19.66, SD = 7.43), other factors, including marital status and sport level lessen the effects of hypermasculinity and facilitate positive perceptions of mental illness and receptivity to help.

CONCLUSIONS: Predictors suggest that therapeutic efforts targeted toward family and support networks, as well as intervention strategies for decreasing mental illness stigma are essential to encourage positive mental health attitudes in elite football players.

Language: en