Understanding well-being in Canadian university student-athletes
(Photo provided by Siobhan Fitzpatrick)
“The years spent balancing athletics and academics sparked my curiosity to understand the uniquely diverse mental health landscapes navigated by elite athletes. I was curious about how the pressure on athletes to perform in multifaceted ways can take a serious psychopathological toll.” ~Siobhan Fitzpatrick
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*In the following article, TS refers to The Synapse and SF refers to Siobhan Fitzpatrick;
TS: Could you briefly introduce yourself, your supervisor, the topic of your research, and the field it contributes to?
SF: My name is Siobhan Fitzpatrick, and I am a PhD Candidate in UNB’s Clinical Psychology Program supervised by Dr. Janine Olthuis. I started my PhD in 2018 right after completing my Honours degree in Psychology (BSc) from the University of British Columbia in Okanagan.
My dissertation project is titled “Understanding and addressing psychopathology and well-being in Canadian university student-athletes”. This topic is in the realm of clinical and sports psychology.
TS: What was the inspiration for your study, your research question(s), and the main results or expected results?
SF: My research interests are largely inspired by my previous experiences as a student athlete. I was a member of the UBC Okanagan Women’s Varsity Volleyball Team for five years, and had the opportunity to play out my final year of eligibility with the UNB Reds Women’s Varsity Volleyball Team (2018-2019). The years spent balancing athletics and academics sparked my curiosity to understand the uniquely diverse mental health landscapes navigated by elite athletes. I was curious about how the pressure on athletes to perform in multifaceted ways can take a serious psychopathological toll. This curiosity eventually fostered a strong drive to increase empirical understandings of the mental health and well-being profiles of student-athletes and develop and test evidence-based supports for them.
My dissertation includes two separate studies on student-athlete mental health and well-being. The first study serves to elucidate trends in Canadian student-athlete psychopathology and well-being. Drawing on the dual-factor model of mental health and well-being - which incorporates both subjective feelings of well-being and physiological signs of well-being - I am investigating whether the simultaneous influence of mental health and well-being impacts functional outcomes associated with physical health, academic performance, athletic success, and social support. The second study seeks to design and test a prevention-based intervention aimed at promoting student-athlete well-being. This intervention, designed through recommendations proposed by the International Olympic Committee, aims to teach athlete-specific psychoeducation (i.e. interventions for how to cope with and understand mental illnesses), facilitate access to mental health resources, and teach basic coping techniques for athlete self-management.
TS: Could you provide a summary of the methods/experimental procedure used in your study?
SF: For my first study, student-athletes from across Canada have been invited to complete a brief online self-report survey hosted via Qualtrics. Participants were asked several demographic questions (i.e., age, sex, university, year of university, sport team, season status) alongside questions addressing psychopathology, well-being, physical health status, attitudes toward post-secondary education, social support, and subjective sport performance evaluation.
For the second study, UNB varsity teams were invited to participate in a randomized controlled trial designed to test the efficacy of a brief well-being intervention compared to a no-intervention control. Participants were asked to complete the same brief selfreport survey as in the first study as a post-intervention assessment. Coaches opted to sign their respective team up for the study, with student-athletes having control over whether they participated in the research associated with the workshop.
TS: What is the time frame for your project, and how far along are you?
SF: I successfully proposed my project to the psychology department on July 11, 2022. I am currently in the midst of data collection, which I hope to complete by the end of this academic term, and data analysis will immediately follow. I aim to defend this project in mid-2024 - and officially become Dr. Fitzpatrick, wahoo!
TS: How would you describe your state of mind while doing research?
SF: My state of mind ebbs and flows. Some days I feel on top of the world, while other days lend to feelings of defeat and uncertainty. Luckily, I have an amazing supervisor (BIG shoutout to Dr. Olthuis) who has been an immense source of inspiration and support throughout this whole process. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for her!
TS: What would you consider the biggest difference between studying at the graduate level versus the undergraduate level? Why did you choose to pursue graduate study in psychology?
SF: For me, I find studying at the graduate level comparable to a full-time job, in the sense that my work is typically conducted on a Monday-Friday, 8AM – 4PM basis. However, depending on how busy I am (i.e., with dissertation), this may shift. This is in contrast with studying at the undergraduate level, where I was often working late into the evening and weekends. I studied anywhere and everywhere I could - hotel rooms, airplanes, libraries, gyms… Basically, any free moments I had outside of volleyball (which there were few of), you would find me studying!
TS: Is there anything else you wish to share about your research/ research process, or any insights/ advice you would share with undergraduate students hoping to pursue graduate study?
SF: When choosing graduate schools, I recommend paying close attention to the fit between you and your supervisor. This person will end up playing a significant role in your ability to create and successfully defend a dissertation project, and as such they should be highly regarded when deciding on schools to apply to/accept offers from.
The best advice I was given for grad studies was: “There’s a reason they don’t hand PhDs out on every street corner”. Graduate school is tough, but VERY worth it if it’s in a field you have passion for!
I would also recommend getting involved early and often! There are always ample opportunities to gain experience working with research labs on campus. Don’t be afraid to reach out :) Ψ
Created for The Synapse by Incé Husain.
