"Comparing Mental Health Between NCAA Division III Student-Athletes Com" by Autumn Presley, Tiffany Franklin et al.
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Keywords

Health Care Competency; Recognizing patients with behavioral (mental) health conditions

Abstract

Mental health is a topic that has gained attention in recent years, but few studies have examined NCAA Division III student-athletes. Division III student-athletes are known to experience high levels of distress, and previous literature indicates there may be a significant psychological difference between student-athletes who compete in individual-sports compared to those who participate in team-sports. The purpose of this study was to explore mental health challenges (levels of depression, stress, and anxiety symptoms) among Division III student-athletes, particularly between those participating in team- and individual-sports. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The independent variable was group (team-sport athletes and individual-sport athletes). The dependent variables were the respondents’ scores on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Anger Scale of the Aggression Questionnaire (AGQ_ANG). The instrument was delivered as a web-based survey. Main outcome measures included scores for the three DASS-21 subscales including depression (DASS-21Depression), anxiety (DASS-21Anxiety), and stress (DASS-21Stress), as well as respondents’ composite score of the DASS-21 (DASS-21Composite). The respondents' scores on the AGQ_ANG also served as a main outcome measure. Mann-Whitney U Tests were used to compare differences of DASS-21Depression, DASS-21Anxiety, DASS-21Stress, DASS-21Composite, and AGQ_ANG between groups (Group 1: team-sport athletes; Group 2: individual-sport athletes). Our findings demonstrated team-sport athletes having significantly more anxiety symptoms compared to individual-sport athletes (U = 183.5, z = -2.12, p = .034, r = 0.31). No other significant differences were found between groups on the main outcome measures. The findings provide a contemporary, descriptive profile of mental health characteristics among a sample of Division III student-athletes participating in team- versus individual-sports. Clinicians should consider these findings in their efforts to detect and manage mental and behavioral health challenges among student-athletes.

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