Citation

Anchuri K, Davoren AK, Shanahan A, Torres M, Wilcox HC. J. Am. Coll. Health 2019; ePub(ePub): 1-9.

Affiliation

Department of Mental Health , Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore , Maryland , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/07448481.2019.1616743

PMID

31210585

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate whether collegiate athletes and nonathlete college students differ in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and help-seeking behaviors. Participants: 165,210 respondents to the American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment (NCHA), a survey administered to college students by participating institutions during Fall 2011 to Spring 2015. Methods: Single-level binary logistic regression with equality of coefficients tests and chi-square analyses. Results: The models for NSSI and suicide attempt differed slightly between student-athletes and nonathletes. Most notably, stress is a stronger correlate of NSSI (Z = 3.03, p < .01) for nonathletes while difficulties with social relationships is a stronger correlate of suicide attempt for student-athletes (Z=-3.13, p < .01). Conclusion: Our findings highlight the salience of relationship problems as a correlate with suicide attempts in student-athletes. Difficulty in romantic or other social relationships could be a marker of risk or an identifiable, actionable target for preventing future suicidal behaviors among collegiate athletes.

Language: en

Keywords

Help-seeking; NCHA; self-injury; student athlete; suicide