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Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes' Performance and Well-Being

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Sport and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 44648

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Selenia di Fronso

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Guest Editor

Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Interests: athletes’ performance; psychophysiological approach; recovery-stress balance; Yoga; wellbeing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Dagmara Budnik-Przybylska

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Assistant Guest Editor

Sport Psychology Department, University of Gdańsk, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland
Interests: imagery; sport psychology; mental training

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A growing body of evidence supports the idea that the sport psychology interventions adopted by professionals do make a difference in athletes’ performance. Specifically, scientific literature has reported that psychological interventions such as imagery, goal-setting, self-talk, relaxation and arousal regulation are the most widely adopted by practitioners and athletes to enhance performance. However, athletes face unique physiological and psychological stressors daily, which may contribute to injuries, overtraining, burnout, and/or other physical and mental health issues. Accordingly, they would need continuous exploration of interventions to counteract physical and mental tension and other detrimental stressor effects and performing at high levels. Moreover, it has been recognized that interventions that do consider athletes’ emotional, psychological and social well-being are important components of high performance in sport. This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health aims to create a constructive discussion on up-to-date scientific data in this area and, for this reason, we invite authors to submit original research and/or specific reviews that improve the understanding of “Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes’ Performance and Well-being”. Papers addressing novel outcomes obtained using traditional interventions (e.g., imagery, self-talk) or the ones on emerging techniques (e.g., Yoga for athletes; technology-based interventions) are more than welcome.

Dr. Selenia di Fronso
Dr. Dagmara Budnik-Przybylska
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

psychological skills training
performance enhancement
well-being
recovery interventions
technology-based interventions
yoga and meditation
self-regulation
imagery
decision making
self-talk

Related Special Issue

Second Edition: Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes' Performance and Well-Being in Sports (2 articles)

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 265 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Special Issue: Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes’ Performance and Well-Being

by Selenia di Fronso and Dagmara Budnik-Przybylska

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3712; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043712 - 20 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3789

Abstract

Scientific evidence highlights that sport psychology interventions adopted by professionals are crucial for making a difference in athlete performance [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes' Performance and Well-Being)

Research

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24 pages, 4549 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cross-Cultural Validation of the Malaysian Mood Scale and Tests of Between-Group Mood Differences

by Philip Chun Foong Lew, Renée L. Parsons-Smith, Andrea Lamont-Mills and Peter C. Terry

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3348; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043348 - 14 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1870

Abstract

Mood measures have been shown to have utility for monitoring risks to mental health and to predict performance among athletes. To facilitate use in a Malaysian context, we tested a Malay-language version of the 24-item Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS), referred to as the Malaysian Mood Scale (MASMS). Following a thorough translation–back-translation process, the 24-item MASMS was administered to 4923 Malay-speaking respondents (2706 males, 2217 females; 2559 athletes, 2364 non-athletes), ranging in age from 17 to 75 years (M = 28.2 years, SD = 9.4 years). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the six-factor MASMS measurement model (CFI = 0.950, TLI = 0.940, RMSEA = 0.056 [CI 0.055, 0.058]). Convergent and divergent validity of the MASMS were supported via relationships with depression, anxiety, and stress measures. Significant differences in mood scores were found between athletes and non-athletes, males and females, and younger and older participants. Tables of normative data and profile sheets for specific groups were generated. We propose that the MASMS is a valid measure that can be used to monitor mental health status among athletes and non-athletes and that facilitates future mood-related research in Malaysia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes' Performance and Well-Being)

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12 pages, 596 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Mindfulness Intervention on the Psychological Skills and Shooting Performances in Male Collegiate Basketball Athletes in Macau: A Quasi-Experimental Study

by Yan Wang, Si-Man Lei and Chi-Chong Wu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2339; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032339 - 28 Jan 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3322

Abstract

Background: This study adopted a quasi-experimental design to examine the effect of a 7-week mindfulness intervention on the psychological coping ability and shooting performance of college-level male basketball athletes in Macau. Methods: A total of 43 male college basketball athletes in Macau were selected as the participants. Besides the regular basketball training, the intervention group (n = 23) received a 7-week mindfulness training; the weekly mindfulness intervention session lasted around one hour according to the mindfulness training manual for athletes, while the control group (n = 20) did not receive any mindfulness training. Before and immediately after the 7-week intervention, all players performed the following tests: the “Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire”, the “Acceptance and Action Questionnaire”, the “Sport Competition Anxiety Test”, the “Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale”, and three shooting tests. An independent-sample t-test and a paired-sample t-test were used to analyze the between- and within-group differences. Moreover, a repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess the group, time, and group-by-time effects on psychological skills and shooting performances. Results: The intervention resulted in both significant between-group and within-group differences in mindfulness level, acceptance level, attention level, three-point, and free-throw shooting performances (all p < 0.05, Cohen’s d ranging from 0.565 to 1.117). Conclusion: While further study is necessary, the present study suggests that the 7-week mindfulness training program can significantly improve psychological outcomes and shooting performance in Macau college basketball athletes. Future studies involving competition settings and objective metrics will aid in verifying mindfulness as the prevalent practice among basketball practitioners and athletes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes' Performance and Well-Being)

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18 pages, 2513 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Mindfulness for Performance Programme on Actual Performance in Ecological Sport Context: Two Studies in Basketball and Table Tennis

by Karima Tebourski, Marjorie Bernier, Manel Ben Salha, Nizar Souissi and Jean F. Fournier

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12950; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912950 - 10 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2881

Abstract

Mindfulness For Performance is a programme that has been developed over 15 years. It aims to help athletes maintain effective attentional focus regardless of the disruptive sensations and thoughts induced by the performance situation. It is inspired by Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Acceptance Commitment Therapy programmes and has been adapted to the specificities of sport. It is composed of three steps: (a) psychoeducation and identification of the focus of attention, (b) mindfulness and acceptance training, and (c) integrating skills acquired into training and competition. This article reports the effects of MFP in two studies in national basketball players and in young table tennis players. The first study showed that mindfulness skills and free-throw accuracy during basketball games increased more in the experimental group than in the control group. Table tennis results revealed that participants who showed the highest percentage of adherence to the programme benefited more from MFP training in terms of performance outcome (i.e., accumulated points collected from published results compared with the baseline phase) than participants who showed weaker percentages of adherence to the programme. Both studies provided some evidence on the effects of MFP on specific performance indicators (i.e., free-throw accuracy in basketball and ranking points in table tennis), but this needs to be confirmed by further research measuring other relevant performance indicators. The impact and conditions of adherence also deserve more consideration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes' Performance and Well-Being)

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12 pages, 546 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Strategies on Perceived Stress and Psychobiosocial States in Athletes and Recreationally Active People

by Selenia di Fronso, Claudio Robazza, Réka Zsanett Bondár and Maurizio Bertollo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7152; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127152 - 10 Jun 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2858

Abstract

The mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programme is gaining increasing attention in sport and physical activity domains. This programme comprises three meditation practices: mindful yoga, body scan, and sitting meditation. In this study, we aimed to examine the effects of a dynamic (mindful yoga) strategy and a static (a combination of body scan/sitting meditation) strategy on participants’ psychobiosocial states (PBS), perceived stress (PS) and mindfulness levels in athletes and recreationally active (RA) people. Thirty-four participants (athletes = 18; RA participants = 16) were assigned to a dynamic intervention strategy, and another 34 (athletes = 19; RA participants = 15) were assigned to the static intervention strategy. Before the intervention, after the intervention and three weeks later, the Italian versions of the PBS scale, the PS scale and the Mindful Attention Awareness scale were administered. RM-(M)ANOVAs revealed that intervention strategies improved functional PBS, reduced PS and enhanced mindfulness levels in both athletes and RA participants after the intervention (p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.605). However, improved functional PBS after the intervention (p < 0.001; d = 0.62) and stable PS levels at follow-up (p = 1) were observed mainly in athletes. The findings reinforce the view of the importance of the body as a means to improve emotional and health processes, and support the use of mindfulness strategies in sport to enhance individuals’ well-being. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes' Performance and Well-Being)

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12 pages, 1445 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Self-Regulation in High-Level Ice Hockey Players: An Application of the MuSt Theory

by Montse C. Ruiz, Reko Luojumäki, Samppa Karvinen, Laura Bortoli and Claudio Robazza

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13317; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413317 - 17 Dec 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2608

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the validity of core action elements and feeling states in ice hockey players in the prediction of performance. A second aim of the study was to explore the effectiveness of a 30-day program targeting action and emotion regulation. Participants were male ice hockey players drawn from two teams competing at the highest level of the junior Finnish ice hockey league. They were assigned to a self-regulation (n = 24) and a control (n = 19) group. The self-regulation program focused on the recreation of optimal execution of core action elements and functional feeling states. Separate repeated measures MANOVAs indicated significant differences in ratings of perceived control and execution accuracy ratings of self-selected visual and behavioral components of the action (critical for optimal performance) and psychobiosocial (feeling) states across recalled best and worst games. Results support the use of both action- and emotion-centered strategies for performance enhancement. Future research including psychophysiological markers is warranted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes' Performance and Well-Being)

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Review

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14 pages, 1301 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Effects of Physical Activity, Exercise, and Sports Programs on Depressive Symptoms in Individuals with Disabilities: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

by Miguel Jacinto, Diogo Monteiro, Joana Oliveira, Susana Diz, Roberta Frontini, Rui Matos and Raul Antunes

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(12), 6134; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20126134 - 15 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2020

Abstract

Studies show that physical activity, exercise, or sport reduces depressive symptoms in the general population. However, little is known about its effects on individuals with disabilities. Thus, this systematic review with meta-analysis aims to verify the effects of this practice on depressive symptoms in individuals with disabilities. The Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, and SportDiscus databases were used, with several descriptors and Boolean operators. A total of 1509 studies were identified through searching the databases. Studies that met the eligibility criteria were subsequently assessed for their methodological quality (Downs and Black scale), and a meta-analysis was performed. The Z-values that were obtained to test the null hypothesis, which states that there is no difference in means, showed Z = −2.294 and a corresponding p-value = 0.022. We can, therefore, reject the null hypothesis in the sense that exercise seems to reduce depressive symptoms in individuals with disabilities. In sum, participants from the intervention group presented more probability of reducing depressive symptoms when compared to the control group (approximately −1.4 standard differences in means; 95% CI −2.602 to −0.204). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes' Performance and Well-Being)

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17 pages, 3249 KiB

Open AccessReview

Burnout and Mental Interventions among Youth Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Studies

by Dominika Wilczyńska, Wen Qi, José Carlos Jaenes, David Alarcón, María José Arenilla and Mariusz Lipowski

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10662; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710662 - 26 Aug 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5200

Abstract

(1) Background: The subject of athlete burnout is often discussed among sports psychologists. Interventions to reduce this phenomenon are still under investigation with follow-ups. Thus, the purpose of the current meta-analysis is to examine psychological interventions that was carried out to decrease or eliminate burnout syndrome in young athletes. (2) Methods: Scientific electronic databases were searched, and five published studies published between January and June 2022 that met the criteria were selected. The systematic review and meta-analyses followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The Cochrane collaboration tool for assessing the risk of bias was used to assess the studies’ quality. Metafor, a package of the R statistical program, was used to perform the analysis. (3) Results: Cognitive behavioral therapy- and mindfulness-based interventions effectively reduced most dimensions of burnout. Moreover, online interventions were significantly more beneficial in this reduction. (4) Conclusions: There should be more high-quality studies on the effectiveness of psychological interventions in reducing burnout, mainly because it leads to tremendous physical and psychological problems for athletes and their coaches; therefore, it requires particular interventions and prevention strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes' Performance and Well-Being)

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19 pages, 1888 KiB

Open AccessReview

Revisiting the Self-Confidence and Sport Performance Relationship: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

by Marc Lochbaum, Mackenzie Sherburn, Cassandra Sisneros, Sydney Cooper, Andrew M. Lane and Peter C. Terry

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6381; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116381 - 24 May 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 10728

Abstract

Self-confidence is a common research topic, and most applied textbooks include interventions designed to enhance athlete confidence. Our purpose was to quantify the self-confidence and sport performance literature using meta-analytic techniques. We also examined potential risk of bias indicators, and the moderation effects of study quality, sport characteristics, timing of confidence measurement, and individual differences among participants. Following a review of two past meta-analyses, a systematic search of APA PsycArticles, ERIC, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PsychINFO, and SPORTDiscus within the EBSCOhost platform, and some hand searching, 41 articles published between 1986 and 2020 met the inclusion criteria. Collectively, the included studies investigated 3711 athletes from 15 countries across 24 sports. The overall random effects estimate of the relationship (expressed as r) between self-confidence and performance was 0.25 (95% CI 0.19, 0.30), with little evidence of publication bias. The summed total risk of the individual study bias score did not moderate the confidence–performance relationship, whereas significant moderator effects emerged for individual sports (0.29) compared with team sports (0.14), objective (0.29) compared to subjective (0.14) performance measures, and 100% male (0.35) compared to 100% female (0.07) samples. In conclusion, the confidence–performance relationship is small in magnitude, nearly free of bias, and moderated by sport type, performance objectivity, and athlete sex. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes' Performance and Well-Being)

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13 pages, 2286 KiB

Open AccessReview

Effect of Attentional Focus on Sprint Performance: A Meta-Analysis

by Danyang Li, Liwei Zhang, Xin Yue, Daniel Memmert and Yeqin Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6254; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106254 - 20 May 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3554

Abstract

Sprinting is often seen in a variety of sports. Focusing one’s attention externally before sprinting has been demonstrated to boost sprint performance. The present study aimed to systematically review previous findings on the impact of external focus (EF), in comparison to internal focus (IF), on sprint performance. A literature search was conducted in five electronic databases (APA PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science). A random-effects model was used to pool Hedge’s g with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The meta-analysis included six studies with a total of 10 effect sizes and 166 participants. In general, the EF condition outperformed the IF condition in sprint performance (g = 0.279, 95% CI [0.088, 0.470], p = 0.004). The subgroup analysis, which should be viewed with caution, suggested that the benefits associated with the EF strategy were significant in low-skill sprinters (g = 0.337, 95% CI [0.032, 0.642], p = 0.030) but not significant in high-skill sprinters (g = 0.246, 95% CI [−0.042, 0.533], p = 0.094), although no significant difference was seen between these subgroups (p = 0.670). The reported gain in sprint performance due to attentional focus has practical implications for coaches and athletes, as making tiny adjustments in verbal instructions can lead to significant behavioral effects of great importance in competitive sports. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes' Performance and Well-Being)

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Other

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11 pages, 933 KiB

Open AccessOpinion

What Decides Your Athletic Career?—Reflection from Our Study of GP.Mur-Associated Sports Talents during the COVID-19 Pandemic Era

by Kate Hsu and Wei-Chin Tseng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12691; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912691 - 4 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2291

Abstract

This opinion article discusses the factors that attract children and teens to athletic careers. The most important attribute for the making of athletes is polished sports talent, followed by psychological, environmental, and incentive factors. Our laboratory studies a red blood cell (RBC) type called GP.Mur, which is rare in most parts of the world besides Southeast Asia. Intriguingly, the prevalence of the GP.Mur blood type is relatively high among Taiwanese elite athletes. The highest frequency of the GP.Mur blood type worldwide is found among Taiwan’s Ami people (88–95% from hospital blood bank surveys in the 1980s). Though the Ami constitute only 0.6–0.8% of the Taiwanese population, from records of national track-and-field games in the past century, 10–60% of the medalists were Ami. Biologically, GP.Mur expression supports blood CO₂ metabolism, which may have implications for athleticism. As many of our study subjects are elite college athletes with the GP.Mur blood type, we contemplated their upbringings and career dilemmas, especially during the difficult COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond individual sports talent, the pandemic particularly tests personal characteristics and socioeconomic support for becoming an athlete. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport Psychology Interventions for Athletes' Performance and Well-Being)

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