Abstract
Purpose: To conduct the first cross sectional survey on depression, resilience, wellbeing and concussion levels of equestrian athletes, and to assess whether past concussion rates were associated with depression, resilience, and wellbeing.
Design, Methodology, Approach: 511 participants from Canada, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom, Australia and United States of America took part in an international cross-sectional, online survey evaluating concussion history, depression symptoms, resilience, and wellbeing.
Findings: 27.1% of athletes met clinically relevant symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Significant differences were shown in wellbeing and resilience scores between countries. Significant relationships were observed between reported history of concussion and both high depression scores and low wellbeing scores.
Practical Implications: Findings highlight the need for mental health promotion and support in equestrian sport.
Social implications
Results support previous research suggesting a need for enhanced mental health support for equestrians. There is reason to believe that mental illness could still be present in riders with normal levels of resilience and well-being.
Originality/value
This study examined an understudied athlete group: equestrian athletes and presents important findings with implications for the physical and mental health of this population.
Design, Methodology, Approach: 511 participants from Canada, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom, Australia and United States of America took part in an international cross-sectional, online survey evaluating concussion history, depression symptoms, resilience, and wellbeing.
Findings: 27.1% of athletes met clinically relevant symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Significant differences were shown in wellbeing and resilience scores between countries. Significant relationships were observed between reported history of concussion and both high depression scores and low wellbeing scores.
Practical Implications: Findings highlight the need for mental health promotion and support in equestrian sport.
Social implications
Results support previous research suggesting a need for enhanced mental health support for equestrians. There is reason to believe that mental illness could still be present in riders with normal levels of resilience and well-being.
Originality/value
This study examined an understudied athlete group: equestrian athletes and presents important findings with implications for the physical and mental health of this population.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 172-181 |
| Journal | Journal of Public Mental Health |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 11 Feb 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Sept 2021 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- mental health
- mental illness
- wellbeing
Access to Document
- Resilience, wellbeing, depression symptoms and concussion levels in equestrian athletes
© 2021 Emerald Publishing Limited This is an accepted manuscript distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction for non-commercial purposes, provided the author and source are cited.