Association of Athlete Burnout with Depression Among Japanese University Athletes

• Published in: Juntendo Iji Zasshi = Juntendo Medical Journal Vol. 66; no. 3; pp. 221 - 232
• Main Authors: KAMIMURA, AKARI, KAWATA, YUJIRO, RAEDEKE, THOMAS D., HIROSAWA, MASATAKA
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Juntendo Medical Society 2020
• Subjects: athlete burnout; depression; Japan; mental health; university athletes
• ISSN: 2187-9737; 2188-2126
• DOI: 10.14789/jmj.2020.66.JMJ19-OA24

Objective: To establish a Japanese version of the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) - an internationally renowned standard assessment tool for athlete burnout (Study 1) - and to determine the association of athlete burnout with depressive states using this questionnaire (Study 2).Methods: Participants in Study 1 were 516 Japanese university athletes (M=19.9, SD=1.29) who played 13 different sports. We verified the test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity of the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire-Japanese version (ABQ-J). We also assessed its concurrent validity in comparison with the Athlete Burnout Inventory (ABI), which is based on a psychopathological model of depression within Japanese culture. Participants in Study 2 were 373 different Japanese university athletes (M=20.01, SD=1.27) from 21 sports. Severity of participants’ depressive states was measured using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Results: In Study 1, no items exhibited a floor or ceiling effect. The ABQ-J showed high internal consistency and a three-factor structure, similar to the original questionnaire. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the ABQ-J had a good model fit and the test-retest reliability coefficients were satisfactory. In Study 2, a positive correlation was found between athlete burnout and depressive states. Individuals with severe athlete burnout faced 3-4 times the risk of moderate-to-severe depressive states than individuals without severe athlete burnout.Conclusions: The ABQ-J effectively measures burnout among Japanese university athletes. Cross-sectional evidence suggests a positive association between athlete burnout and severity of depressive states or depressive disorder.