Ahmad Christopher S, Hellwinkel Justin E, Ahmed Rifat, Alexander Frank J, Reynolds Alan W, Piasecki Dana P, Bottiglieri Thomas S, Lynch T Sean, Popkin Charles A, Saltzman Bryan M, Trofa David P
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
Sports Medicine Center, OrthoCarolina, Charlotte, NC, 28207, USA.
Open Access J Sports Med. 2024 Mar 18;15:19-28. doi: 10.2147/OAJSM.S392977. eCollection 2024.
Social distancing protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in premature ending of athletic seasons and cancellation of upcoming seasons, placing significant stress on young athletes. Inability to play or forced early retirement has significant consequences on athlete's mental health, as demonstrated by an extensive body of injury literature. We hypothesize that premature suspension and cancellation of athletic events due to the COVID-19 pandemic leads to higher incidence of depressive symptoms among high-school and collegiate athletes. Further, athletes who strongly derive their sense of self-worth centered around athletics would have higher rates of depressive symptoms.
High school and collegiate athletes were evaluated for depressive symptoms, emotional health and athletic identity measures through validated assessment instruments from May 2020 through July 2020. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Depression Computer Adaptive Test (PROMIS-10 Depression CAT), Veterans RAND-12 (VR-12), which comprises both a physical and mental health component, and Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) were utilized.
Mental health assessments were completed by 515 athletes (52.4% male, 47.6% female; .84.5% collegiate, 15.5% high school). Female athletes scored significantly worse than males on VR-12 mental health assessments, as well as PROMIS-10 Depression scores; however, males scored significantly lower than females on VR-12 physical health assessments, irrespective of education level. Athletes who had strong associations with athletics as central to their personal identity exhibited worse psychologic impact on VR-12 mental health and PROMIS-10 Depression measures and female athletes in this cohort reported greater depressive symptoms than males.
Social distancing protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic have limited athlete's ability to participate in sports at the training and competition level. Higher rates of depressive symptoms in high school and college athletes have resulted among female athletes and those who identify strongly as an athlete.
由于新冠疫情实施的社交距离协议导致体育赛季提前结束，以及即将到来的赛季被取消，给年轻运动员带来了巨大压力。正如大量伤病文献所表明的那样，无法参赛或被迫提前退役对运动员的心理健康有重大影响。我们假设，由于新冠疫情导致体育赛事提前暂停和取消，会导致高中和大学运动员中抑郁症状的发生率更高。此外，那些强烈将自我价值感建立在体育运动基础上的运动员，抑郁症状的发生率会更高。
2020年5月至2020年7月，通过经过验证的评估工具，对高中和大学运动员的抑郁症状、情绪健康和运动身份测量指标进行了评估。使用了患者报告结果测量信息系统抑郁计算机自适应测试（PROMIS - 10抑郁CAT）、包含身心健康两个部分的退伍军人兰德12项健康调查（VR - 12）以及运动身份测量量表（AIMS）。
515名运动员完成了心理健康评估（男性占52.4%，女性占47.6%；大学生占84.5%，高中生占15.5%）。在VR - 12心理健康评估以及PROMIS - 10抑郁评分中，女运动员的得分显著低于男运动员；然而，在VR - 12身体健康评估中，无论教育水平如何，男运动员的得分均显著低于女运动员。那些将体育运动视为个人身份核心的运动员，在VR - 12心理健康和PROMIS - 10抑郁测量中表现出更差的心理影响，并且该队列中的女运动员报告的抑郁症状比男运动员更严重。
由于新冠疫情实施的社交距离协议限制了运动员在训练和比赛层面参与体育运动的能力。高中和大学运动员中，女运动员以及那些强烈认同自己是运动员的人抑郁症状的发生率更高。
