Examining Factor Structure of a Widely Used Measure of Psychiatric Symptoms in Collegiate Athletes

The Symptom Checklist 90 – Revised (SCL-90-R; Derogatis, 1994) is one of the most widely utilized measures of general psychiatric distress. However, its factor structure varies across populations, and psychometric properties of this scale have yet to be investigated in athletes. In this study several frequently reported factor structures of the SCL-90-R were examined in 311 collegiate athletes. None of the tested models were a good fit based on Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFI) criteria, although the bi-factor model was reasonable using RMSEA (.06) and AIC (55951) criteria. Explained common variance of the global factor was 73%, reflecting a stronger general factor relative to specific construct factors. Indeed, several items did not significantly load on previously identified factors. Results suggest the SCL-90-R is a good tool to determine general symptom severity of mental health disorders in collegiate athletes.