Sleep disturbance is the strongest bridge symptom linking athlete burnout, depression, and anxiety in collegiate athletes.
In a network analysis of 1,226 Chinese collegiate athletes, sleep disturbance (PHQ-3) emerged as the strongest bridge symptom (bEI = 0.47) connecting the three clusters of burnout, depression, and anxiety. The most central nodes were depressed mood (PHQ-2; EI = 1.22), physical exhaustion (ABQ-E8; EI = 1.11), and uncontrollable worry (GAD-2; EI = 1.07).
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Sleep disturbance is the strongest bridge symptom linking athlete burnout, depression, and anxiety in collegiate athletes. The current body of evidence comprises 1 study. EvidenceHub rates the overall confidence at 32/100 (low).
The Claim
Sleep disturbance is the strongest bridge symptom linking athlete burnout, depression, and anxiety in collegiate athletes.
This conclusion is most relevant to: 1,226 Chinese collegiate athletes (637 male, 589 female; mean age 18.11 years, SD = 1.39).
What the Research Shows
The conclusion draws on 1 linked study. Highlights from the cited literature:
- ▸Exploring the interrelationships between athlete burnout, depression, and anxiety: a network analysis approach. (Frontiers in psychology, 2026) —
How It Works
The proposed biological pathway:
- ▸Sleep disturbance (PHQ-3) shows the highest bridge expected influence (bEI = 0.47) among all symptoms
- ▸This symptom connects the burnout, depression, and anxiety symptom clusters
- ▸Targeting sleep disturbance may interrupt transdiagnostic symptom-transmission pathways
- ▸Result: Sleep disturbance is a key intervention target for reducing comorbidity
Who Might Benefit
Evidence fit by population:
- ▸1,226 Chinese collegiate athletes (637 male, 589 female; mean age 18.11 years, SD = 1.39)
Recommended Dose
N/A
Limitations & Caveats
Important context when interpreting this evidence:
- ▸Cross-sectional design prevents causal inference about the direction of relationships between symptoms
- ▸Sample limited to Chinese collegiate athletes, which may not generalize to other athlete populations or cultures
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the strongest bridge symptom linking burnout, depression, and anxiety in athletes?▼
Sleep disturbance (PHQ-3) was identified as the strongest bridge symptom with a bridge expected influence of 0.47, meaning it most strongly connects the three symptom clusters.
Which symptoms were most central in the network analysis?▼
Depressed mood (PHQ-2; EI = 1.22), physical exhaustion (ABQ-E8; EI = 1.11), and uncontrollable worry (GAD-2; EI = 1.07) were the most central nodes.
What does bridge expected influence (bEI) measure?▼
Bridge expected influence quantifies how strongly a symptom connects different symptom clusters (e.g., burnout, depression, and anxiety), indicating its role in comorbidity.
How many athletes were included in this study?▼
The study included 1,226 Chinese collegiate athletes (637 male, 589 female) with a mean age of 18.11 years.
References
- 1.Fu Y, Song YG, Liang R, Wang J, Zhao J, Shangguan Y, Zhuang T. “Exploring the interrelationships between athlete burnout, depression, and anxiety: a network analysis approach..” Frontiers in psychology, 2026. PMID: 42482729 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1845637