Key result
Adolescent sports participation is linked to lower depression and anxiety symptoms during COVID-19 isolation.
Why the study?
It was unclear whether adolescent athletes' mental health was affected by long-duration home isolation enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Does athletic participation improve mental health symptoms in adolescents during COVID-19 home isolation compared to nonathletes?
Cross-Sectional (n=1,345)
Does athletic participation improve mental health symptoms in adolescents during COVID-19 home isolation compared to nonathletes?
Adolescent athletes had significantly lower depression and anxiety symptoms than nonathletes during COVID-19 isolation, though overall depression levels remained high.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Athletic participation was associated with fewer symptoms but should not yet change practice; leaves open causal effects of exercise on adolescent mental health in isolation.
PURPOSE: To assess whether adolescent athletes were affected or not in terms of mental health by the long duration at home linked to isolation enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: The study included 940 team athletes, 274 individual athletes, and 131 nonathlete controls aged 12-17 years. Demographic data were obtained with a form including questions about age, sex, sports type, and physical activity status (type, duration, and frequency) during the isolation period. Participants completed the Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale-13, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children. RESULTS: Among participants, 88% did not meet the physical activity recommendations for children and adolescents, while 42.8% felt depressed. Depressive symptoms were present in 38.1% of boys and 59.7% of girls, with girls (6.4%) having higher posttraumatic stress symptoms than boys (3.5%). Among athletes, depressive and anxiety symptoms were lower compared with nonathlete controls (P < .01). Posttraumatic stress symptoms were lower among athletes than nonathlete controls for girls (team vs control, P = .006; individual vs control, P = .002) but similar for boys (P > .05). The depression (P = .518), state (P = .866), and trait anxiety (P = .507) symptoms were similar between team athletes and individual athletes. CONCLUSION: Though adolescent athletes' depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms were significantly lower than nonathlete controls, athletes also had high depression levels. These findings show the need to take precautions to protect the psychological health of not only nonathletes, but also athletes in the pandemic period.
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Denerel et al. (2021) conducted a cross-sectional in Mental health during COVID-19 isolation (n=1,345). Athlete status (team or individual) vs. Nonathlete controls was evaluated on Depressive, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (p=<.01). Adolescent athletes had lower depressive and anxiety symptoms than nonathlete controls during COVID-19 isolation, though 42.8% of all participants felt depressed.
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