OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to verify the association between non-modifiable (age categories, sex and race/ethnicity) and modifiable (sport modality, socioeconomic, training load, sleep, and eating disorder) factors with anxiety and depressive symptoms in young athletes. METHODS: The sample was composed of 168 athletes engaged in national competitions from individual sports [swimming ( RESULTS: The prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in young athletes were 14.3% and 25.6%, respectively, and female athletes presented higher rates of anxiety symptoms than males (30.8% vs. 11.3%
CONCLUSION: In short, non-modifiable factors, such as sex and age categories, should be considered when anxiety and depressive symptoms are examined in young athletes. Modifiable factors such as sports modality and sleep quality impact depressive symptoms in this population.