Abstract
It is significantly important to participate in official games for collegiate student-athletes, but limited research has explored its association with mental health. This study sought to examine the relationship between mental health and participation in official games, as well as resistance to help-seeking, among collegiate rugby players in Japan. A questionnaire survey was conducted among male rugby players from four-year university athletic teams in the Kanto region, with responses from 184 players（ mean age: 20.32 ± 1.36 years） analyzed. The participants included 45 players who had played official games as members of the top-team, 40 who had played official games as members of the second team, and 99 who had never played in an official game. The analysis revealed several key findings:（ 1） players who had never participated in an official game had significantly higher K6 and BDSA scores compared to those who had participated in official games, and（ 2） a moderate positive correlation was found between resistance to help-seeking and K6 and BDSA scores, except among players who participated in official games as members of the top team. These results suggest that participation in official competitions influences mental health and it is important to create environments and provide information that encourage helpseeking behavior, especially for the players on second team or those who do not participate in official games.
