Sleep Dysfunction And Depression In Adolescent Elite Athletes: A Cross-sectional Study

PUPORSE: Sleep and mental health are crucial factors for adolescent elite athletes, who face combined pressures of training, competition, academics, and social commitments. This study aimed to examine the relationship between sleep dysfunction and depression in adolescent elite athletes. METHODS: A total of 248 athletes from the Korea Junior National Team (ages 13-19) participated in this study. Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). RESULTS: Overall, 50.4% of athletes were classified as having sleep dysfunction (global PSQI score ≥ 5.5), and 23.8% reported depressive symptoms (CES-D score of ≥16). Athletes with depressive symptoms had a higher prevalence of sleep dysfunction than those without depressive symptoms (76.3% vs. 43.9%, P < 0.001). Sleep dysfunction was associated with a 4.26-fold increase in the depression (95% CI, 2.00-9.09, P < 0.001). Specifically, poor subjective sleep quality (OR: 4.62; 95% CI, 2.10-10.18, P < 0.001), prolonged sleep latency (OR: 2.45: 95% CI, 1.28-4.69, P < 0.01), increased sleep disturbances (OR: 3.98: 95% CI, 1.83-8.63, P < 0.001), and daytime dysfunction (OR: 3.28; 95% CI, 1.67-6.44, P < 0.001) were associated with higher odds of depression symptoms. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that sleep dysfunction, as measured by high global PSQI scores, is associated with an increased risk for depressive symptoms in adolescent elite athletes. Supported by: This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF 2023S1A5A8081417, NRF 2022S1A5C2A03092407, NRF-2021R1I1A1A01060235).