Relationship between Athletes Burnout and Mental Health among Students: Examining the Role of Gender

Purpose: The purpose of the present research was to investigate the relationship between athlete’s burnout and the mental health among students, and to examine the role of gender.
Methods: The statistical population of this study consisted of all students of the Islamic Azad University, Chalous Branch. Based on Morgan's table and Cochran's formula, a sample size of 260 individuals was considered and selected through random sampling. For data collection, a demographic information questionnaire, the Athletes Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics indices and inferential statistical methods.
Results: The results of the Pearson correlation coefficient test showed a significant negative relationship between athletes’ burnout and its components with the students' level of mental health (P<0.05). Furthermore, the results of the regression test indicated a relatively strong linear relationship between the predictor variables (components of athletes’ burnout including emotional and physical exhaustion, a reduced sense of accomplishment, and devaluation of sport) and the criterion variable (mental health). In other words, the relationship between the predictor and criterion variables was 35.2%.
Conclusion: Overall, the results of the present study showed a significant negative relationship between mental health and athletic burnout among the studied male and female students.