The National Athletic Trainers’ Association recommends including mental health screenings in pre-participation exams (PPEs) for student-athletes. This study aims to validate and assess the clinical utility of two depression screening tools in a collegiate student-athlete population. The results suggest that cut-off scores on the PHQ-9 and CES-D may need to be adjusted for this specific population. Referral and confirmatory testing are advised for student-athletes scoring at or above the designated cutoff thresholds to confirm depression.

Image courtesy of interviewee. December 5, 2023