Susceptibility for Depression in Current and Retired Student Athletes

Abstract

Background:Depression, a disabling mental disorder, adversely affects work, sleeping and eating habits, and family. Research does not exist on depression among athletes who have recently graduated from college and retired from their sport after exhausting their collegiate eligibility.Hypothesis:Changes in lifestyle and loss of personal identity, which follow college athletics, would put former college athletes at an increased risk for depression.Methods:A survey was sent to former (n = 163) and current (n = 117) college athletes to correlate depression and retirement from athletics.Results:Depression levels were significantly higher (P = 0.03) in current college athletes (16.77%, n = 27) compared with former, graduated college athletes (8.03%, n = 9).Conclusion:Completion of college sports may not increase levels of depression. There is a need for increased awareness, education, screening, and intervention for depression in college athletes.Clinical Relevance:This study suggests that student athletes’ depression levels should be monitored during their participation in college sports.

Investigating the Prevalence and Risk Factors of Depression Symptoms among NCAA Division I Collegiate Athletes

“…The observed rate of 33.2% supported the hypothesis that the rate of depression symptoms in college athletes is higher than has been reported in previous studies of this population. These studies have shown the prevalence rate to range from 14%-23.7%, depending on the methods and measures used [3,46,47]. The discrepancy between the results obtained in this study and previous findings suggests that depression may be an issue that affects far more college athletes than previously thought.…”

“…Current prevalence of depression symptoms among NCAA division I athletes is as high or higher than the rate of 14%-21% observed in previous studies [3,44,46].…”

“…However, this study does represent the largest sample of depression in college athletes for studies of this kind [3,4,44,46], including male and female college athletes from a variety of sports and universities. Moreover, the reported response rate was derived from the total number of Division I athletes.…”

“…A recent study [3] investigating depression rates in current and former college athletes, found that 16.77% of current athletes had Wakefield Depression Scale scores consistent with depression, compared to just 8.03% of former, retired athletes, suggesting that engagement in college athletics may contribute to increased susceptibility to depressive symptoms. This suggestion is further strengthened by the findings of a more recent study, which concluded 23.7% of current college athletes at a single institution displayed clinically relevant symptoms of depression [4].…”

A Qualitative Exploration of Former College Student-Athletes’ Wellness

“…Many of the primary relationships (e.g., teammates, coaches) decrease substantially after graduation, resulting in a dissipating support network at the completion of college athletics (Weigand, Cohen, & Merenstein 2013). The strain resulting from lack of social support has been linked to lower levels of wellness (Dalgard & Tambs 1995;Watson 2015).…”