Burnout, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among Youth Being Trained in State-run Sports Hostels in Karnataka: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Youth engaged in competitive sports are susceptible to mental health issues due to their critical development and the demands of balancing academics and sports. Evaluating burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress in youth engaged in competitive sports is therefore important, particularly in structured training environments in state-run sports hostels in the state of Karnataka, India. Materials and Methods: This study examined burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress among youth engaged in Karnataka state-run sports hostels. A descriptive cross-sectional quantitative methodology was used at 14 Senior District Sports residential hostels in Karnataka under the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, Karnataka, India. The population was youth aged 15–24 years, and a census survey was adopted to recruit 613 sports training participants. The study included participants with at least 6 months of experience and fluency in Kannada and English. The Athletic Burnout Questionnaire and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were administered, and both descriptive and inferential statistics were computed. Results: Burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress were comparatively higher among female youth, participating only in team sports, youth with competition scheduled in 4 months or more, and intrinsically motivated youth. The Athletic Burnout total score showed a significant positive correlation with the DASS total score ( r = 0.508, P < 0.001), highlighting the need for preventive mental health treatments for youth in competitive sports. Conclusion: A significant level of burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress was identified among youth engaged in competitive sports. This study suggests early individual, coaching, administrative, and policy interventions to improve the well-being of youth engaged in competitive sports.