ArticleThe Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine2020
Social (Un)distancing: Teammate Interactions, Athletic Identity, and Mental Health of Student-Athletes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Article in The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 90 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
90 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Athletic identity and sport injury: a systematic review and meta-aggregation.BMC psychology · 2025Pooled it
- The relationship between social support and mental health in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental and Emotional Health of Athletes: A Systematic Review.The American journal of sports medicine · 2023Pooled it
- The prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and sleep disturbance in higher education students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Psychiatry research · 2021Pooled it
- Post-secondary Student Mental Health During COVID-19: A Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2021Pooled it
- Patterns of change in athletic identity and mental health in elite Polish athletes with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: a 3-month longitudinal study.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Article
- What role do self-liking and self-competence play in the relationships between exercise identity and mental well-being in individuals who exercise regularly?BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Investigating the benefits of an arts-based mindfulness program conducted with varsity student athletes.Discover mental health · 2026Article
- Exploring the determinants of wellbeing in university athletes: roles of athletic identity, mental energy, and social support.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Student-athlete dual careers in South African public universities: insights from an ecological perspective.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Article
- Does athletic identity enhance subjective wellbeing among elite collegiate athletes in team sports? A sequential mediation model of perceived team support and self-efficacy.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Suicide Risks Among U.S. College Students: a Time-Series Cross-Sectional Study Examining Institutional Characteristics and Behavioral Factors.Prevention science : the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research · 2025Article
- Mental health of youth athletes during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: A three-wave cross-sectional study.PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2025Article
- COVID-19 affected elite track-and-field athletes' Olympic preparation before Tokyo 2020 compared to Rio 2016.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Impact of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of university students and recommendations for the post-pandemic period: A systematic review.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2025Review
- How physical activity protects against smartphone addiction: examining the mediating pathways of resilience and subjective wellbeing in Chinese university students.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- How did Canadian national team athletes manage the COVID-19 pandemic? Athlete, coach, and support staff perspectives to guide future responses to major stressors.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Athletes' Perceived Team Climate, Social Support, and Optimistic Thoughts During the COVID-19 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Social ties and social identification: Influences on well-being in young adults.Journal of social and personal relationships · 2024Article
30 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
purposePhysical distancing measures to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus have presented challenges for the mental health and well-being of college students. As campus activities ceased, student-athletes abruptly became isolated from teammates and were no longer able to participate in sport activities that are often central to their identity as an athlete. However, student-athletes who have supportive social connections with teammates during this pandemic may maintain their athletic identity to a greater extent and report better mental health. The present study examined how student-athletes' mental health was associated with teammate social support, connectedness, and changes to athletic identity from before to during COVID-19.
methodA sample of 234 student-athletes completed surveys before COVID-19 physical distancing (February 2020), with 135 (63% female) participating in a follow-up in the month following school closures (April 2020). Path models estimated the effects of teammate social support and connectedness (during COVID-19), as well as changes in athletic identity on indices of mental health.
resultsConsidering all path models tested, student-athletes who received more social support and reported more connectedness with teammates reported less dissolution of their athletic identity and-in most models-reported better mental health and well-being. Indirect effects indicated that student-athletes' change in athletic identity mediated the effects of teammate social support on psychological well-being and depression symptoms.
conclusionsIn addition to advancing theory on how small groups relate to mental health, these findings demonstrate the value in remaining socially connected with peers and maintaining role identities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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