Key result
Elevated depressive symptoms were found in 15.1% of NCAA Division III collegiate athletes, with perceived stress, anxiety, and reduced achievement serving as significant predictors.
Why the study?
Data on elevated depressive symptoms among collegiate athletes are derived mostly from NCAA Division I or professional athletes, leaving evidence from NCAA Division III sparse.
What is the prevalence and what are the predictors of depressive symptoms in NCAA Division III collegiate athletes?
Cross-Sectional (n=218)
No
What is the prevalence and what are the predictors of depressive symptoms in NCAA Division III collegiate athletes?
NCAA Division III collegiate athletes experience a 16.2% prevalence of elevated depressive symptoms, which is comparable to Division I athletes and significantly predicted by stress, anxiety, devaluation, and emotional exhaustion.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports mental health screening in NCAA Division III athletes; leaves open causal pathways and intervention trials.
Mental health disorders are important health concerns among collegiate athletes. Estimations of elevated depressive symptoms in this population range from 1.1-26%. However, these data are derived mostly from NCAA Division I institutions or professional athletes. Evidence from lower divisions (e.g., NCAA Division III) is currently sparse in the literature. Hence, the primary purpose of the present study was to examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in NCAA Division III collegiate athletes. The secondary purpose was to examine which mental health indicators predict depressive symptoms. In total, 186 participants completed several mental health scales (e.g., PHQ-9, DASS-21). The results revealed a prevalence of 16.2% of elevated depressive symptoms. A multiple regression predicted 46.1% of the variance of depressive symptoms. Significant predictors were stress, anxiety, devaluation, and emotional exhaustion. While NCAA Division III collegiate athletes may face lower athletic expectations, the prevalence of mental health concerns is similar to those observed in Division I collegiate athletes.
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Wilson et al. (2022) conducted a cross-sectional in Depressive symptoms (n=218). Psychological and descriptive risk factors (stress, anxiety, burnout, gender) vs. Athletes without these risk factors was evaluated on Prevalence of elevated depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score ≥ 10). Elevated depressive symptoms were found in 15.1% of NCAA Division III collegiate athletes, with perceived stress, anxiety, and reduced achievement serving as significant predictors.
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