Comparing the Mental Health of Athlete and Non-athlete University Students

Background and According to the World Health Organization report, mental disorders are among the major causes of disabilities worldwide, which can decrease the success rate of educational progress in students and prevent their further achievements. Physicians believe that physical fitness is a suitable field to access good mental status. This study intended to compare the mental health of athlete and non-athlete students. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional study involved 74 university students who were randomly selected. The Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ 28) and Demographic Characteristics Questionnaire were used for data collection. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics (frequency, mean and standard deviation) as well as the independent t-test in SPSS. 13. The total prevalence of mental disorders was 61.76%; but it was 9.4% among athlete students and 30.2 among non-athletes; the observed difference was significant (p<0.001). Athlete students enjoy a better mental health status than non- athletes do.