Effectiveness of Two Frequently Used Screening Tools in Identifying Depression and Anxiety in Collegiate Athletes

Authors

Adriana C. Isacke DO, Maine Medical PartnersFollow
Amy Haskins PhD, Maine Medical CenterFollow
Christina Holt MD, MSc, Maine Medical CenterFollow
Williams Dexter MD, FACSM, Maine Medical CenterFollow

Submission Type

Original Research

Abstract

Introduction: To determine whether the Electronic Pre-participation Physical Examination (EPPE), a proprietary and frequently used tool, is an effective method for depression and anxiety screening in the collegiate athlete population as compared to the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4).

Methods: College athletes at a Division III university completed PHQ-4 questionnaires and a proprietary EPPE. Positive reponse rates to depression and/or anxiety for both questionnaires were collected and analyzed with a kappa (κ) statistic.

Results: Among 420 students, we found that 9 (2%) reported depression and/or anxiety via the EPPE. Of the 26 students (6%) who answered positively on the PHQ-4, we found that 2 reported depression and/or anxiety on the EPPE. Of the 9 students who reported a history of depression and/or anxiety on the EPPE, we found that 2 scored positively on the PHQ-4. Agreement between the 2 methods was poor (κ = 0.08).

Discussion: Reporting depression or anxiety among collegiate athletes with the EPPE screening question related to the nervous system is low compared to the PHQ-4.

Conclusions: Colleges should consider adding additional depression and anxiety screening tools during the pre-participation exam to ensure they identify and treat at-risk student athletes.

Recommended Citation

Isacke, Adriana C. DO; Haskins, Amy PhD; Holt, Christina MD, MSc; and Dexter, Williams MD, FACSM (2021) "Effectiveness of Two Frequently Used Screening Tools in Identifying Depression and Anxiety in Collegiate Athletes," Journal of Maine Medical Center: Vol. 3 : Iss. 1 , Article 3.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.46804/2641-2225.1068