Mental Health of College Athletes
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Authors
Kasperek, Michael
Issue Date
2024-04-04
Type
Language
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Abstract
Roughly one in three people in the world experience mental health disorders at least once in their lifetime. This includes disorders such as anxiety and depression, which commonly go hand in hand. Physical activity has been proven to boost mental health in certain circumstances, however, several other factors, including training, academics, sleep, and extracurricular
schedules can influence mental health. This may explain why literature reports nearly a quarter of DI athletes display clinically relevant levels of depression. Less information, however, is known about the prevalence of anxiety and depression in DIII athletes, who may have a different experience compared to that of DI athletes. Therefore, this research project aims to
evaluate the prevalence of mental health symptoms, specifically anxiety and depression, in a population of Division III collegiate athletes. An additional goal is to see if there is any correlation between sleep and training intensity with depression and anxiety. To do this, 40-60 participants that are “in-season” Division III athletes will be recruited. The participants will take an online survey which will include the Generalized Anxiety Disorder test (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire test (PHQ-8), and a modified Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) test about their sleep, which are all validated questionnaires. Answers for the validated questionnaires will be scored according to their respective scales to identify the presence of self-reported anxiety and depression symptoms. The percentage of participants with self-reported anxiety and depression symptoms will be quantified, and correlational analysis will be done to identify any significant relationships. It is hypothesized that Division III collegiate athletes will show a high prevalence of possible anxiety and depression symptoms, which will mirror
similar studies that have been performed on Division I athletes. Additionally, it is proposed that symptoms could be associated with sleep quality and training intensity.