title: Depressive symptoms in high-performance athletes and non-athletes: a comparative meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether a difference exists in the prevalence of mild or more severe depressive symptoms between high-performance athletes and non-athletes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparative OR meta-analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched PsycINFO, PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus and Google Scholar, as well as the reference lists of reviews of mental health issues in high-performance athletes.
  We included studies that compared high-performance athletes and non-athletes, included a validated measure of depressive symptoms and included the prevalence of individuals who indicated at least mild depressive symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five articles reporting data from 1545 high-performance athletes and 1811 non-athletes were examined. A comparative OR meta-analysis found high-performance athletes were no more likely than non-athletes to report mild or more severe depressive symptoms (OR=1.15, 95% CI=0.954 to 1.383, p=0.145). Male high-performance athletes (n=940) were no more likely than male non-athletes (n=605) to report mild or more severe depressive symptoms (OR=1.17, 95% CI=0.839 to 1.616, p=0.362). For females, high-performance athletes (n=948) were no more likely than non-athletes (n=605) to report mild or more severe depressive symptoms (OR=1.11, 95% CI=0.846 to 1.442, p=0.464). Overall, male high-performance athletes (n=874) were 52% less likely to report mild or more severe depressive symptoms than female high-performance athletes (n=705) (OR=0.48, 95% CI=0.369 to 0.621, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-performance athletes were just as likely as non-athletes to report depressive symptoms. Researchers need to move beyond self-report measures of depressive symptoms and examine the prevalence of clinically diagnosed depressive disorders in athletes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.
authors.forename: Paul Filip
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Gorczynski
authors.affiliation: Physical and Coach Education Department, University of St Mark and St John, Plymouth, UK.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coyle
authors.affiliation: Physical and Coach Education Department, University of St Mark and St John, Plymouth, UK.
authors.forename: Kass
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gibson
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: depressive symptoms; elite athletes; mental health; meta-analysis