Examining the Relationship between Depression and the Progression of Burnout Among Japanese Athletes1,2

Abstract

AbstractThis study was an examination of the longitudinal relationship between burnout and depressive symptoms among Japanese athletes at three time periods. The participants were 143 university athletes (89 males, 54 females, mean age = 19.83 years, SD = 1.03 years) who completed the Burnout Scale for University Athletes (BOSA) and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K‐10) at three time periods. The results indicated that among the number of athletes with moderate to severe depressive symptoms, approximately 28–35% of the athletes had moderate and 4.2–10.5% had severe depressive symptoms for about 6 months. Furthermore, cross‐lagged modeling showed that both interpersonal and emotional exhaustion toward athletic practice predicted a future lack of personal accomplishment and devaluation among athletes, varying slightly depending on time. Interpersonal exhaustion was the main burnout symptom that predicted future depressive symptoms among athletes. In addition, research suggested that the relationship between each burnout symptom and depression may be affected by the season. Therefore, selecting adequate methods of intervention based on the type of symptoms and the season might be necessary to prevent burnout in athletes.