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Introduction
There are approximately 400 000 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student athletes and 5-7 million high school student athletes competing each year. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the depression prevalence rates for young adults is higher than other age groups; in the 18-25 age group, the 12-month depression prevalence rate was 8.7% in 2008 (compared with a 6.7% overall rate for adults). 1-3 Given the high prevalence of depression in individuals of collegiate age in the general population, the prevalence of depression in the athletic population warrants further study. 4
In the past, a commonly held misconception was that athletes may be at decreased risk for mental health issues due to increased levels of exercise, a notion has recently come under scrutiny in the popular media. 5 In fact, initial data suggest that athletes are not immune to, or at decreased risk for, clinical depression. A majority of studies to date investigating the prevalence rate of depression in athletes have been conducted in a college athlete population. Although estimates of the depression prevalence rate in this population remain controversial, prior studies have suggested that the prevalence rate of depression among college athletes ranges from as low as 15.6% to as high as 21%. 6 7 Additionally, the majority of the studies to date have been completed either over the course of a single year or via a one-time survey intake.
The present study examines the prevalence of clinically relevant depression symptoms in a single university cohort of college athletes over three consecutive years. Additionally, the relationship between potential risk factors, such as gender and participation in specific sports, and clinically relevant depression symptoms are explored.
Background on depression prevalence in athletes
Storch et al 8 were among the first investigators to compare rates of depressive symptoms in athletes. The authors concluded that female athletes reported experiencing depressive symptoms, social anxiety and non-support to a greater extent than male athletes. In a survey-based study of 257 division I college athletes, Yang et al 7 identified symptoms of depression in 21% of surveyed athletes and found female athletes to report higher levels of depression than male athletes.
In contrast, Armstrong and Oomen-Early 9 found that college athletes had lower levels of...