Differences In Stress Levels And Coping Strategies Among Individual And Team Sports In Division II Collegiate Athletes

Abstract

Differences in Stress Levels and Coping Strategies Among Individual and Team Sports in Division II Collegiate Athletes Matthew R. Miltenberger, Olivia M. Lukshides, Emily J. Sauers, FACSM, Shawn N. MunfordEast Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg, PA.Collegiate athletes experience multiple stressors associated with the pressures to perform on the field and in the classroom. Previous literature has suggested that athletes report higher levels of stress and anxiety when compared to non-athletes. Increased stress levels can lead to greater incidence of mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. PURPOSE: To compare stress levels and coping strategies in Division II collegiate athletes. METHODS: Subjects consisted of NCAA Division II student athletes at East Stroudsburg University. Prior to the start of each season subjects were provided details about the study and instructed that the survey would be distributed electronically within one week after the conclusion of their season via Google Forms. The survey included demographic information, a perceived stress questionnaire, and a question regarding coping strategies. Data is reported as mean ± SD and analyzed using paired-sample t-tests. Significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Subjects included individual sport athletes (n = 46; cross-country, swimming, track and field) and team sport athletes (n = 25; baseball and lacrosse), both male (n = 29) and female (n = 42). Perceived stress scores were significantly higher in team sport (17.56 ± 7.19) then in individual sport (16.85 ± 7.49, p < 0.05). Statistically significant differences were seen in several coping strategies, individual sport athletes tended to use venting of emotion (56.5 vs 32%, p < 0.05), social support (60.8 vs 48%, p < 0.05), and suppression activities (34.7 vs 24%, p < 0.05) more often while team sport athletes tended to use disengagement (36 vs 19.5%, p < 0.05) and acceptance (48 vs 45.6%, p < 0.05) more often. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that those participating in team sports show higher levels of perceived stress and that team and individual sport athletes use different coping mechanisms to deal the stress.