Aidan Hyatt | 2025 I.S. Symposium

Name: Aidan Hyatt
Title: ‘Just Right’ is Never Enough: Effects of Obsessive-Compulsive-Related Symptoms for Current and Former Student-Athletes and Non-Athletes’ Quality of Life Outcomes
Major: Psychology
Advisor: Mike Casey; Susan Clayton

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a debilitating and mentally crippling disorder that can be characterized by the presence of obsessions and compulsions. Although tremendously thin, previous research has shown that OCD can be as prevalent as 5.2% among collegiate student athletes. OCD, regardless of athletic status, invariably has a negative effect on quality of life (QoL). Facets of life such as social interactions, daily functioning, and overall mental well-being appear to take the biggest form of hinderance from OCD. This study investigated the potential relationship between obsessive-compulsive-related (OCR) symptoms and QoL, as well as whether current-student athletes who experienced high levels of OCR symptoms would experience the greatest hinderance to their QoL. Four hundred and nineteen participants completed questionnaires regarding their college status, athletic status, OCR symptoms, and QoL. As hypothesized, results showed that total OCR symptoms and all OCR symptoms’ subscales to be significantly negatively associated with QoL. Moreover, results showed that, contrary to what was predicted, current student-athletes with high amounts of OCR symptoms had the highest QoL, whereas current student-non-athletes with high amounts of OCR symptoms had the lowest QoL. Future research should implement a longitudinal study to capture how OCR symptoms affect QoL over time and should control for psychiatric comorbidities that will likely have a compounding effect on one’s QoL.

Posted in Symposium 2025 on May 1, 2025.