A new study conducted by German researchers has revealed the fact that athletes who participate in team sports are less affected by depression than individual athletes.

Analyzing both the effects and the causes of this difference may prove to be very useful in changing the manner in which various stakeholders interact with athletes so as to improve their well-being.

Studying Depression Among Athletes

Researchers at the Technical University in Munich conducted a series of studies involving both professional and junior athletes in order to analyze how affected they were by depression.

The results were revealing. One of the studies was targeted toward young sportsmen, comparing 128 football and hockey players with 71 athletes who do not take part in team sports, such as swimmers and runners.

The aim was to see how high the two categories were situated on a scale of depressive symptoms such as guilt or even suicidal tendencies. Lone athletes were significantly more likely to report higher levels of depression. When the same study was conducted on 162 senior elite athletes, the results were quite similar, as the subjects that participated in team sports proved to be less depressed than their counterparts.

Alone In Success, Alone In Failure

Scientists believe there are several causes for the high levels of depression in individual athletes. Thus, even though they get all the glory when they win a medal, they also get all the blame when the results are disappointing. Self-blame is also an extremely important factor. Team sports seem to have different dynamics due to the diffusion of responsibility.

Andy Baddeley, a famous British runner and two-time Olympian, confirmed the researchers' discoveries, providing his personal experience.

"It got to a point with my coach when I couldn't express how low I was. There are not many people I get to talk to about these things. I'm not surrounded by a team. I don't have to turn up to a training ground," noted Baddeley.

Another very important factor when it comes to depression among athletes is represented by the ability to recover after very stressful events or periods. Sportsmen who don't have the time to recover properly are more likely to suffer from depression.

Surprisingly enough, perfectionism does not seem to be a factor in this regard. Researchers expected individual athletes to be more perfectionist and thus more prone to depressive states in case of failure. However, those who participate in team sports exhibited a higher level of perfectionism.

Overall, researchers hope that the discoveries will help start an honest discussion about depression and will help coaches and mental health specialists offer the support athletes need so much.