Association of Athlete Burnout with Depression Among Japanese University Athletes

Objective: To establish a Japanese version of the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) - an internationally renowned standard assessment tool for athlete burnout (Study 1) - and to determine the association of athlete burnout with depressive states using this questionnaire (Study 2). Methods: Participants in Study 1 were 516 Japanese university athletes (M=19.9, SD=1.29) who played 13 different sports. We verified the test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity of the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire-Japanese version (ABQ-J). We also assessed its concurrent validity in comparison with the Athlete Burnout Inventory (ABI), which is based on a psychopathological model of depression within Japanese culture. Participants in Study 2 were 373 different Japanese university athletes (M=20.01, SD=1.27) from 21 sports. Severity of participants' depressive states was measured using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Results: In Study 1, no items exhibited a floor or ceiling effect. The ABQ-J showed high internal consistency and a three-factor structure, similar to the original questionnaire. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the ABQ-J had a good model fit and the test-retest reliability coefficients were satisfactory. In Study 2, a positive correlation was found between athlete burnout and depressive states. Individuals with severe athlete burnout faced 3-4 times the risk of moderate-to-severe depressive states than individuals without severe athlete burnout. Conclusions: The ABQ-J effectively measures burnout among Japanese university athletes. Cross-sectional evidence suggests a positive association between athlete burnout and severity of depressive states or depressive disorder.