A Study and Comparison of the Effect of Team Sports (Soccer and Volleyball) and Individual Sports (Table Tennis and Badminton) on Depression among High School Students

The present research studies and compares the effect of participating in team sports (soccer and volleyball) and individual sports (table tennis and badminton) on depression among high school students of Khoramdareh City in the period of 2006-2007. Research method is semi-empirical and the population of the research includes 1300 high school students of which 100 students with depression (ranging from borderline to severe) were chosen using Beck Depression Inventory and were randomly divided into five homogeneous groups (soccer, volleyball, table tennis, badminton and a control group). The four experimental groups participated in sports activity for eight weeks, three sessions per week and each session lasting for 1 hour and 15 minutes and subjects in the control group were prevented from performing any regular sports activity. At the end of eighth week, they took the depression test for the second time. After collecting the data and analyzing them using correlated and independent t-tests and one-way ANOVA, the results showed that sports activity reduced depression in subjects (at the significance level of α=0.05) and that the effect of team sports (soccer and volleyball) on reducing depression is greater that the effect of individual sports (table tennis and badminton).