Individuals’ depression and anxiety might be influenced by the level of physical activity and expertise: a pilot study on elite volleyball players and amateur athletes

Purpose: To compare depression and anxiety between elite volleyball players (VP) and amateur athletes (AA). Methods: Depression and anxiety levels were assessed in 31 elite VP and 26 AA. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire was administered to assess physical activity level (PAL). Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Form Y 1–2 were administered to assess an individual’s depression and anxiety levels. Results: VP showed a significantly lower depression (p = 0.018) and trait anxiety (p = 0.038) levels than AA (BDI-II z-score = − 0.27 ± 0.82 vs 0.32 ± 1.11 in VP and AA, respectively; STAI-Y2 z-score = − 0.28 ± 0.85 vs 0.34 ± 1.08 in VP and AA, respectively). A significant main effect of gender was observed for STAI-Y1 (p = 0.025) and STAI-Y2 (p = 0.014). In detail, females had higher state and trait anxiety levels than males. PAL did not significantly adjust values of participants (AA and VP) in BDI-II, STAI-Y1, and STAI-Y2. Conclusion: Results suggest that the practice of supervised volleyball sport, rather than unsupervised recreational activity, might positively influence an individual’s depression and anxiety levels. Moreover, physical exercise specialists should consider a different psychological approach when working with females than males.