ANALYTICAL STUDY OF DEPRESSION ON PHYSICAL EDUCATION STUDENTS

Abstract

Objective: The main aim of this study was to analyse the level of depression in male and
female physical education students to investigate gender differences and examine the
correlation between age and depression.
Design and Method: An analytical study was performed to determine depression levels
among physical education students. A sample of 60 physical education students (30 male
and 30 female) with mean ages of 19.73±1.25 and 19.33±1.18 were randomly selected. The
“Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)” had been employed to
determine depression. Physical education students' depression levels were analysed using
descriptive statistics, and the depression levels of male and female students were compared
using the independent sample t-test.
Result: The analysis indicates the female student's CES – D scores were higher than their
male peers. These variations highlight the serious mental health issues that female students
in physical education experience. The test's p-value of 0.015, which is below the significant
0.05 (p < 0.05), indicates a significant difference between the levels of depression in males
and females.
Conclusion: In order to ensure holistic development, the study concludes that it is critical to
address mental health issues in academic and athletic training contexts, particularly for
female students. Additionally, the study recommends the establishment of a mental health
support system, including peer support groups, stress management workshops, counselling
services, and workshops, in order to lower depression among PE students.