Religiosity and depression in intercollegiate athletes

College Student Journal, Dec, 2002 by Eric A. Storch, Jason B. Storch, Eric Welsh, Aubree Okun

The present study examined the relationship between organizational, non-organizational, and intrinsic religiosity, and symptoms of depression in intercollegiate athletes. The Duke Religion Index and the Depression subscale of the Personality Assessment Inventory were completed by 105 athletes. Results showed that only intrinsic religiosity was negatively associated with affective symptoms of depression. Implications of these findings on the potential protective effects of religiosity against affective symptoms of depression are discussed.

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Given its role in the lives of many athletes, it is surprising that little research has been conducted examining religiosity in athletes. While several single subject studies have qualitatively examined the protective effects of religiosity against distress in athletes, no empirical research has been conducted that has investigated the buffering effects of religiosity against depression in intercollegiate athletes. Understanding this relationship is particularly important given the relative high frequency of depression during adolescence, particularly for females. As researchers are increasingly recognizing the importance of religiosity in the lives of some athletes (Balague, 1999; Hoffman, 1992; Storch, Storch, Kolsky, & Silvestri, 2001), this study focuses on the degree to which organizational, non-organizational, and intrinsic religiosity are associated with depressive symptoms in intercollegiate athletes.

Until recently, research examining the relationship between religiosity and psychopathology was plagued by the use of an incomplete definition of religiosity. Koenig, Parkerson, and Meador (1997) addressed this limitation through their description of three dimensions of religiosity, namely organizational, non-organizational and intrinsic. Organizational religiosity is conceptualized as the frequency with which one attends religious services. Non-organizational religiosity is defined in terms of the amount of time spent in private religious activities such as prayer or meditation. Intrinsic religiosity is the degree to which one integrates his/her religiousness into their life (Koenig et al., 1997).

Religiosity is thought to protect against maladjustment through cognitive and behavioral techniques that assist the individual in managing life stressors (Miller, Davies, & Greenwald, 2000). It follows, therefore, that religious beliefs and practices might buffer against stressors associated with athletic competition (e.g., try-outs, important matches). While no studies have examined the relationship between religiosity and depression in athletes, several studies have been conducted in community samples (Kendler, Gardner, & Prescott, 1997; Koenig, George, & Peterson, 1998; Krause & Van Tran, 1989 Strawbridge, Shema, Cohen, & Kaplan, 2001). Research examining intrinsic religiosity and depressive symptoms have consistently found an inverse relationship (Kendleret al., 1997; Koenig et al., 1998; Krause & Van Tran, 1989). However, the association between organizational and non-organizational religiosity, and depressive symptoms remains unclear as some studies have found an inverse relationship (Krause & Van Tran, 1989; Strawbridge et al., 2001) while others have found no relationship (Koenig et al., 1998).

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between organizational, non-organizational, and intrinsic religiosity, and depression in intercollegiate athletes. Based on previous research findings in community samples, we expect to find an inverse relationship between organizational, non-organizational, and intrinsic religiosity, and depressive symptoms. As applied sport practitioners and researchers are increasingly recognizing the role of religion in the lives of many athletes (Balague, 1999; Hoffman 1992; Storch et al., 2001), there is a need to understand the extent to which religiosity may assist athletes in coping with distress.

Method

Participants

One hundred and five intercollegiate athletes (female = 51) at a public university in Southeastern United States participated in the study. The following teams were included in the present study due to convenience: women's soccer (N = 24), women's volleyball (N = 11), women's basketball (N = 4), women's swimming (N = 16), men's swimming (N = 15), men's tennis (N = 4), and football (N = 31). The mean age was 19 years 9 months for the total sample (SD = 19 months), and the ethnic distribution as follows: 61.9% Caucasian, 23.8% African-American, 6.7% Hispanic, 1.9% Asian, and 5.8% "other". The religious affiliation of the subjects consisted of 33.3% Catholic, 22.9% Protestant, 12.4% Baptist, 3.8% Jewish, 13.3% non-denominational Christian, 2.9% agnostic, and 11.4% "other".

Measures

The Duke Religion Index (DRI; Koenig et al., 1997) is a 5-item scale that was used to assess the organizational (e.g., attendance at religious services), non-organizational (e.g., prayer or religious study), and intrinsic dimensions of religion. Organizational religiosity was assessed on a six point likert scale by asking "How often do you attend religious services or meetings" (1 = never, 2 = once a year, 3 = a few times a year, 4 = a few times a month, 5 = once a week, 6 = more than once a week). Non-organizational religiosity was measured on a six point likert scale through the question "How often do you spend time in private religious activities such as prayer, meditation, or Bible study" (1 = never or rarely, 2 = a few times a year, 3 = a few times a month, 4 = once a week, 5 = more than once a week, 6 = more than once a day). Intrinsic religiosity was measured by summing three questions assessing intrinsic beliefs on a five point likert scale (e.g., "In my life, I experience the presence of the Divine"; 1 = definitely not true, 3 = neither true nor untrue, 5 = definitely true). The reliability of the intrinsic religiosity subscale is acceptable with a Cronbach's alphas ranging from .70 to .75 in previous studies (Koenig et al., 1997; Storch et al., 2001) and .90 in this sample. The intrinsic religiosity subscale is highly associated with Hoge's (1972) intrinsic religiousness scale (r = .85), while the organizational and non-organizational dimensions are positively related with physical health, and social support (Koenig et al., 1997).