Testing the moderating role of help-seeking behavior on the relationship between anxiety and psychological well-being among college student athletes

2025 IJRSE – Volume 14 Issue 6

Available Online:  10 March 2025

Author/s:

Ramos, Emmanuel RJ*
Far Eastern University, Philippines (erramos@feu.edu.ph)

David, Adonis P.
Philippine Normal University, Philippines (david.ap@pnu.edu.ph)

Abstract:

Student-athletes are integral members of a school community. Being a student-athlete is associated with both positive and negative benefits. The mental health of athletes is one of the major factors that contribute to an athlete’s career and life after being an athlete. Thus, the study investigated the mental health of student-athletes, aiming to understand their well-being and determine whether their help-seeking behavior has a moderating effect on the relationship between anxiety and psychological well-being. Researchers collected data from 307 college student-athletes with an average age of 20.5. Findings revealed that student-athletes experience moderate to severe anxiety, have moderate psychological well-being, and exhibit positive help-seeking behavior. Interestingly, anxiety negatively predicts psychological well-being, but help-seeking behavior does not significantly impact this relationship. Overall, student-athletes expressed a neutral attitude toward seeking professional psychological help for some items while also acknowledging its importance. Additionally, the findings of the study may contribute to developing a psychoeducational intervention that can be offered at state universities to better under- stand the needs and situations of student-athletes. Such as the proposed program in this study, “Di-Nagiisa,” whose main purpose is to focus on improving the mental health and overall well-being of college student-athletes and aims to create a supportive environment where mental health is prioritized alongside athletic pursuits.

Keywords: student-athlete, anxiety, psychological well-being, help-seeking attitude

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2025.25021

Cite this article:
Ramos, E. R., & David, A. P. (2025). Testing the moderating role of help-seeking behavior on the relationship between anxiety and psychological well-being among college student athletes. International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 14(6), 25-45. https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2025.25021

* Corresponding Author