Validation of the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 for longitudinal mental health evaluation in elite Para athletes.

The PHQ-4 turned out to be a valid tool for mental health surveillance in elite Para athletes. Significant correlations of the PHQ-4 and stress level as well as mood were shown. High weekly response rates among participating athletes indicated good acceptance of the program. The weekly monitoring allowed for the identification of individual fluctuations and could identify potential athletes at risk for mental health problems when combined with clinical follow-up. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.