Mental Health Education and Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms Among College Athletes

Depression among college athletes is a subject of growing research interest. The time demands and performance-related pressures college athletes face increase the risk for possible mental health diagnoses. It is recommended college athletes receive training on mental health issues to learn about symptoms or identify early warning signs. This study investigated whether receiving or not receiving pre-sport mental health education influenced reported depressive symptoms of National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) college athletes. This quantitative, cross-sectional study included voluntary college athletes aged 18-years-old (n = 361). Most participants (n = 229, 63.7%) indicated they did not receive mental health training from their college or university prior to sport participation. A web-based instrument that consisted of a demographic questionnaire and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to identify college athletes who reported depressive symptoms. College athletes who did not receive pre-sport mental health training scored in a higher category of depression symptoms than college athletes who did receive mental health training. It is recommended college athletic programs explore the importance of mental health training sessions to prepare student-athletes to recognize and respond promptly and appropriately to mental health challenges. Keywords: mental health literacy, college athletes, depression, NAIA