Abstract

Women’s lacrosse student-athletes navigate overlapping academic, athletic, interpersonal, and performance demands that may influence psychological well-being and decisions about seeking support. Although mental health among collegiate athletes has received increasing attention, less is known about how NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse student-athletes understand mental health and perceive available resources. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore Division I women’s lacrosse student-athletes’ perceptions of mental health and perceived barriers to help-seeking. Structured Zoom interviews were conducted with seven NCAA Division I Power 4 women’s lacrosse student-athletes, and structural coding was used to organize responses in relation to the research questions. Findings indicated that participants viewed mental health as essential to overall well-being and athletic functioning, although they differed in how they described its relationship with performance. Participants also reported varying awareness of available mental health resources and differing perceptions of whether student-athletes utilized those resources. Stigma, communication, supportive relationships, and team culture emerged as important considerations in participants’ descriptions of help-seeking. These findings highlight the distinction between resource availability, awareness, and perceived utilization and suggest that athletic departments should prioritize clear pathways to care, mental health education, supportive team environments, and the normalization of help-seeking.

Keywords

women’s lacrosse; student-athlete mental health; help-seeking; mental health resources; team culture