The characteristics of depression and sleep status among elite Chinese badminton athletes

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and sleep quality among elite Chinese badminton athletes, as well as identify the factors associated with depression.

A cross-sectional survey design was performed, with 117 elite badminton athletes as the subjects. Data were collected using paper-based questionnaires, which consisted of three parts: the first part collected basic information, including gender, age, height, weight, years of training, daily training duration, weekly training frequency, and weekly training hours; the second part assessed depressive symptoms using the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS); the third part measured sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

The results showed that the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms among the 117 elite badminton athletes was as high as 56.4% (N = 66). Among these, mild depression was the most common, accounting for 41.0% (N = 48), followed by moderate depression at 15.4% (N = 18); notably, no severe depression cases were found. Furthermore, 32.5% (N = 38) of the athletes reported poor sleep quality. Logistic regression analysis revealed that sleep quality was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.06-0.48, p < 0.001).

This study demonstrates a high prevalence of depressive symptoms and sleep disorders among elite Chinese badminton athletes, revealing a significant correlation between the two. Consequently, it is imperative for coaches and athletes to prioritize mental health and sleep management strategies.