Few research studies have examined the predictors of mental ill health in esports. This
study addresses that gap by investigating stressors, sleep, burnout, social phobia anxiety and mental
ill health in esport athletes. An online survey was disseminated to competitive student esport athletes
(n = 313) residing in the UK. The survey included measures of stressors resulting from competing in
esports, sleep quality, burnout, and social phobia, as well as outcome measures of mental ill health.
Hierarchical regression analyses examined these relationships. All the hypotheses were supported,
with stressors significantly predicting sleep quality, burnout, and social phobia anxiety, and stressors,
sleep quality, burnout, and social phobia anxiety were all significant positive predictors of mental ill
health. The strength of these predictions varied, for example, the daytime dysfunction subscale of
sleep was a strong predictor of all outcome variables; two subscales of burnout, reduced sense of
accomplishment and exhaustion significantly predicted each of the three mental ill health outcome
variables, and two subscales of social phobia anxiety, fear and avoidance, significantly predicted
mental ill health. Our study has important implications for player health in esports, highlighting
interventions that could target specific aspects of stress, sleep, burnout, and social phobia anxiety to
improve the mental health of those who compete in esports.