Research summary · Sport psychology
Psychological violence and developing athletes’ mental health
A survey explores associations between psychological violence, mental-performance skills and wellbeing among developing athletes.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Cross-sectional survey
- Journal
- Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology
- Population / context
- NextGen development-pathway athletes · Multiple sports
What the publication reports
Among 318 respondents, 19.8% and 21.4% reported anxiety and depressive symptoms above clinical screening thresholds, respectively. Peer psychological violence was associated with poorer mental-health scores, while stronger mental-performance skills were associated with fewer symptoms and better wellbeing.
Limits and interpretation
Self-reported cross-sectional data cannot establish causal direction, and screening thresholds are not diagnoses. Limited statistical moderation at low levels of authority-figure violence does not show that mental skills protect athletes from abuse or replace safeguarding.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Psychological Violence and Mental Health Outcomes in NextGen Athletes: Moderating Role of Mental Performance Skills
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42532496DOI: 10.1123/jsep.2025-0255Reader discussion
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