USC Athletics has been awarded a $25,000 grant through the NCAA Innovations in Research and Practice Grant Program to develop and evaluate a mindfulness training program that will enhance student-athlete mental health.
USC is one of five research teams awarded an NCAA grant this year as part of a program aimed at funding projects that will bring tangible benefits to college athletes, specifically in the area of psychosocial well-being and mental health.
The other grant recipients are Rowan University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Western Kentucky University and Sonoma State University. They will produce work that includes career development, promoting resiliency, and mental health support for injured student-athletes. A total of $100,000 is being awarded this year.
This is the fourth year of the NCAA Innovations in Research and Practice Grant Program. These five research teams will present their findings in January at the 2018 NCAA Convention in Indianapolis.
USC's grant proposal, authored by researchers Dr. Robin M. Scholefield and Dr. Dylan M. Firsick, noted that "the severity and number of mental health symptoms are increasing on college campuses. Many student-athletes report overwhelming distress as time demands and performance pressure contribute to this group being 'at risk' for psychological and academic difficulties. Time-limited, evidenced-based interventions for coping and distress tolerance are greatly needed."
USC's study will seek to implement a five-session, mindfulness-based training program with three primary goals: improve mindfulness skills, increase overall well-being, and reduce anxiety within student-athletes. Results will be formatted into a training program handbook for implementation among NCAA member institutions.
A panel that reviewed the 63 proposals and selected the grant awardees was composed of athletics administrators, mental health practitioners, current student-athletes and scholars representing all three NCAA divisions.
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