Spanish validation of the Baron Depression Screener for Athletes (BDSA) scale in Chilean athletes

Abstract: Introduction: Sports practice, has been traditionally perceived as a protective factor for mental health, however, in high-performance athletes, significant mental health issues are consistently reported, which appear with a prevalence comparable to that of the general population and are more common among female athletes than male athletes. Although specific tools such as the Baron Depression Screener for Athletes (BDSA) exist, their lack of validation in Spanish-speaking contexts limits their applicability. The aim of this study was to validate the Spanish version of the BDSA, a brief screening instrument for depressive symptoms specifically designed for athletes, by psychometrically comparing it with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), previously validated in Chile and Latin America. Methods: An online survey was administered between November 2024 and April 2025 to Chilean adult federated athletes, following translation–cultural adaptation and back-translation approved by the original author. Descriptive analyses, subgroup comparisons, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with Diagonally Weighted Least Squares (DWLS) estimation were conducted, along with a correlation analysis with the PHQ-9 to assess convergent validity. Results: A total of 197 athletes participated (54.3% men, 47.5% women), with a mean age of 24.98 years (SD = 7.17). The CFA showed good fit (CFI = 0.997; RMSEA = 0.021), and the scale demonstrated high reliability (α = 0.878; ω = 0.776). The correlation with the PHQ-9 was strong (r = 0.69), indicating adequate convergent validity. Conclusion: In conclusion, the Spanish version of the BDSA is a valid and reliable instrument for screening depressive symptoms in Chilean adult federated athletes.