LAUSR

Mental health issues are a leading cause of decreased academic and athletic performances when left untreated. Recently, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have highlighted the fundamental importance of mental health among young athletes. Sleep represents a core feature of mental health, and student-athletes represent a vulnerable population for sleep restriction and disruption due to the demands of their courseload and training schedule. This investigation was performed to identify differences in sleep and mental health across gender, race/ethnicity, and sport type. Data were obtained throughout the academic semester from Canadian institutions, with student-athletes completing the Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). ASSQ captured sleep and circadian health, while GAD-7 and PHQ-9 assessed anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. Linear regression determined gender, race/ethnicity, and sport type differences across ASSQ sleep problems score, ASSQ sleep items, GAD-7 score, PHQ-9 score, and PHQ-9 item #9 (suicidal ideation). Final sample (N=559) was 53.0% female, 79.1% white, comprised of young individual (Mean Age = 18.9 ± 3.21), and included student-athletes from basketball, field-hockey, football, ice-hockey, soccer, volleyball, track & field and swimming. Females reported more overall sleep difficulties (p=0.01), medication use (p=0.04) and WASO (p=0.001) compared to males. Females also reported higher anxiety (p < 0.0001), depression (p< 0.0001), and suicidal ideation (p=0.03). Significant variance in total sleep time (TST) (p=0.001) and sleep satisfaction (p=0.04) was observed across race/ethnicity, with student-athletes identifying as Black or African American reporting the lowest TST, while Asian or Pacific Islander student-athletes reported the lowest sleep satisfaction. Significant variance in sleep difficulties score (p< 0.0001), TST (p < 0.0001), and satisfaction (p< 0.0001), as well as anxiety (p < 0.0001) and depression (p< 0.0001) was observed across sport type. Football student-athletes reported the highest sleep difficulties score, and lowest TST satisfaction. Field-hockey student-athletes reported the highest anxiety and depression. Results suggest that sleep and mental health challenges present differently across gender, race/ethnicity, and sport type. Clarifying these unique and specific challenges to student-athlete sleep and mental health is necessary to enhance and personalize interventions. Mitacs #IT23469