@article{ref1,
title="Prevalence of symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety disorder in field hockey players of German first and lower leagues",
journal="Scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports",
year="2023",
author="Junge, Astrid and Wellmann, Kai and Zech, Astrid",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: While several studies on mental health of elite athletes were published in recent years, few compared the prevalence with the general population and none included field hockey players. AIMS: To analyze the prevalence of symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety disorder in field hockey players of different skill levels and to compare it to the general population. <br><br>METHODS: Male and female hockey players from different leagues were asked to answer questions on player characteristics, the Centre of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). <br><br>RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-seven players (incl. 54 first and 28 second league players) participated in the study (response rate 97.4%). More than a third (n = 64; 35.0%) reported to be affected by an injury/health complaint, but 157 (86.3%) were able to train and play without limitations. The CES-D score indicated depression symptoms in more female (n = 15; 18.3%) than male (n = 5; 4.8%) players (χ2=8.8; p < 0.01). No male and one female player had symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. Players who played 60 or more matches in the previous 12 months had on average significantly higher depression (t = 2.3; p < 0.05) and generalized anxiety scores (t = 4.2; p < 0.001) than players who played fewer matches. The prevalence of depression and of generalized anxiety symptoms was similar to or lower than in the general population. Although 20 (10.7%) players had depression symptoms, only 4 (2.2%) received psychological counseling or psychotherapy. <br><br>CONCLUSION: It is recommended to provide routine screening of mental health problems and low-threshold access to adequate treatment for elite athletes.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0905-7188",
doi="10.1111/sms.14426",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sms.14426"
}