Treble or Trouble: Mental Health Experiences of Gender Diverse Collegiate Marching Band Artists

Abstract

Context: For gender diverse (GD) college marching band (MB) artists, the risk for anxiety and depression may be higher as they navigate the demands. Objective: To examine the risk of anxiety and depression across GD MB artists and to explore their barriers and attitudes toward seeking mental health (MH) care. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Online survey. Participants: 78 GD individuals (transgender=12, non-binary=66, age=19±1 y). Outcome Measures: A survey was used to assess demographics, anxiety risk using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), depression risk using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and barriers and attitudes using the Barriers Towards Seeking Help Checklist, the Mental Health Seeking Attitudes Scale (MHSAS), and the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form (ATSPPH-SF). Descriptive statistics and univariate analyses determined scores, risk, and differences between MH and receiving assistance. Results: Participants had high state-anxiety (mean=52.0±112.1), trait-anxiety (mean=55.2±10.0), and symptoms of depression (mean=30.4±12.0) using the STAI and CESD. Overall, 78.2% (n=61/78) of GD MB artists were considered at risk for both state- and trait-anxiety and depression. Of these, 61 GD individuals were at risk for all 3 conditions, and 18% (n=11/61) did not seek help from an MH professional. GD MB artists cited lack of time (82.1%; n=64/78) as the primary barrier to seeking professional help. The mean score on the ATSPPH-SF for all GD artists was 19.5 ± 5.0, and the total score for the MHSAS was 47.8±9.2 which indicated more favorable attitudes toward seeking professional help. Conclusions: We identified high rates of clinical symptoms 26 for depression and anxiety among GD MB artists. The data is consistent with other minority populations and above the normative values for cisgender students. The lack of help-seeking behaviors in nearly 15% of at-risk participants highlights the need for specialized resources for GD patients and/or participation in MB.