A - 08 Mental Health and Identity in Digital vs. Physical Sports (Individual vs. Team Dynamics).

This article examines how participation in digital (e-sports) versus traditional physical sports influences athletes' mental health and identity perceptions. The study involved 39 e-sports athletes and 188 physical athletes aged 17–23, who completed measures including the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale-Plus (AIMS-Plus), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Results showed no significant differences in depression and anxiety scores between e-sports and physical athletes, though e-sports athletes rated their athletic and family identities lower. Among physical athletes, stronger athletic and family identities were linked to fewer depressive symptoms, and individual sport participants reported more anxiety and depression symptoms than team sport participants. These findings suggest that sport modality alone does not determine mental health outcomes, highlighting the importance of identity roles and sport type in supporting athlete well-being.