College Freshmen’s Wellness Center Usage, Physical Activity, and Symptoms of Depression

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between wellness center use and depressive symptoms to increase understanding of how campus recreation affects first-year college students’ mental health. A total of 172 first-year college students at a midsize university completed an in-person questionnaire. Based on their Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) scores, 54% of the students reported some depressive symptoms. A series chi-square analysis indicated: (1) female students tended to report a higher depressive symptom score than male students; (2) freshmen who use the wellness center more often or who go to the center with a friend reported less severe depressive symptoms, and (3) students who have participated in open recreation or intramural sports also reported fewer depressive symptoms than students who never participated in these activities. Our findings showed the importance of social interaction in college freshmen’s recreation participation to reduce depressive symptoms.