Mental Wellbeing and Perceived Social Support of University Student Athletes in Nairobi City County: A Cross Sectional Study

University student athletes find a balance between academic and competitive sport, which adversely compromises their mental wellbeing (MWB). Perceived social support (PSS) reduces the negative effect of stress on psychological wellbeing. However, there is a paucity of empirical data examining these duo dynamics among student athletes in Kenyan universities. This cross sectional study focused on assessing levels of MWB and PSS and examining the relationship between these variables. The study included 809 students athletes across 11 universities in Nairobi City County. The findings posited that 50.4% males and 49.6% females of an average age 21.6 ± 1.9 years participated in the study from public and private universities. The respondents were recruited via a stratified random sampling. MWB was measured with a score range of 14–70, and PSS was assessed with a score range 12–84. Data was analyzed at p < 0.05 significance. MWB mean was 52.24 ± 7.48 with 12.2% classified as having low MWB, 73.8% average and 14% high. The mean PSS was 57.06 ± 12.14. Results showed a strong positive correlation between PSS and MWB (r = 0.628, p < 0.001). No significant gender differences emerged in either MWB or PSS scores by the student-athletes. However, student-athletes reporting a previous history of mental illness 6.1% of the respondents had significantly lower MWB (42.9 ± 5.9 vs. 52.8 ± 7.2; p < 0.001) and PSS (36.1 ± 9.7 vs. 58.4 ± 11.0; p < 0.001) compared to their peers. These findings bring out the protective benefit of PSS in enhancing MWB among student-athletes. Interventions such as structured peer support networks, coach training in mental health literacy, and institutional policies are recommended for overall wellbeing.