| The discipline of sport psychology has grown significantly during the past 15 years, presenting several challenges regarding the professional integrity of the field. Perhaps the most important issue is the debate over the use of the title sport psychologist; for the title psychologist to be used, a professional must meet the statutory requirements for licensure as a psychologist. However, many practitioners in sport psychology are educated in sport sciences and untrained in mental heath practice. In response to these issues the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology has created the credential "Certified Consultant, AAASP", to provide recognition for sport-science trained professionals in sport psychology. This study is designed to investigate the impact of the titles certified consultant, AAASP, sport psychologist, psychiatrist, and coach on athletes' perceptions of the functions and activities performed by each professional, the personal characteristics of each professional, and subjects' willingness to seek help from these professionals for specific problems. Subjects were 384 male and female athletes from three NCAA Division I universities and one NAIA Division II college. Subjects gave informed consent and completed a survey which measured functions/activities, personal characteristics, and help-seeking attitudes. Results indicate that subjects perceive distinct roles and qualities for sport psychologists, psychiatrists, and coaches; roles for the certified consultant were less clear. Certified consultants were perceived less as helpers, and more as strategists or business people; sport psychologists are viewed as mental health professionals who also perform activities specifically related to helping athletes. Athletes were significantly more likely to consult their coaches for athletic and academic problems, and more likely to consult the sport psychologist or psychiatrist for emotional problems. |
