Anna Sherman ’24, a former member of Fairfield's women’s lacrosse team, presented her research on mental health and NCAA Division 1 student-athletes at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Her research was conducted during her senior capstone experience, a requirement for the bachelor of science degree in public health at the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies.
The APHA event was not Sherman’s first scholarly conference, but it was the first at which she presented research. And as far as public health conferences go, she could not have aimed higher, for the APHA Annual Meeting & Expo is one the most prominent and influential public health conferences in the world.
“My professors had talked about conferences like APHA in class,” said Sherman, “so when I got the email that my project was selected, I knew it was a great opportunity.”
In her presentation, Sherman discussed the prevalence of mental health issues among college varsity athletes. Her research revealed that student-athletes experience higher levels of anxiety and depression and lower levels of self-esteem than their non-student-athlete counterparts.
The study sample consisted of 50 Fairfield students, evenly split between varsity athletes and non-varsity athletes. Forty-nine were women.
Sherman’s interest in the topic derived from her own experiences as an D1 student-athlete at Fairfield. She found that her participation in lacrosse added unique stressors to what is already a difficult and demanding time for a young person. In addition to carrying a full courseload, she had to manage high expectations and a rigorous training schedule, all of which took a toll on her mental health.
Her capstone project took shape because she wanted to know if other student-athletes were struggling as she was. And they were. “What I learned was not surprising,” said Sherman. “But honestly, it was reassuring to know that others were feeling the exact same way.”
Ultimately, Sherman confirmed established knowledge that anxiety and depression are common among NCAA athletes and called for universities to create programs and interventions to support the mental health of student-athletes.
Now a graduate student at Boston University, Sherman was thrilled to present her research and network with professionals at the conference in Minneapolis. However, the highlight of the event was seeing the limitless opportunities available in the field of public health.
“The conference reminded me of how broad public health can be, which was exciting because I haven’t quite figured out what I want to do when I finish my master’s degree,” Sherman said. “But I am happy that I decided to go with public health!”
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