Research summary · Sport psychology
How credible is psychological-skills training evidence?
An umbrella review evaluates review-level evidence for psychological-skills interventions across performance, psychological, cognitive and injury outcomes.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Umbrella review
- Journal
- Journal of Sports Sciences
- Population / context
- Athletes · Multiple sports and levels
What the publication reports
Sixty-one reviews covered 42,106 participants; 35 meta-analyses covering 28,076 participants entered quantitative synthesis. Several intervention families had positive point estimates, but most results were weak or non-significant and certainty was generally very low.
Limits and interpretation
Definitions, delivery and outcome measures varied, and methodological credibility was limited. Positive point estimates should not be treated as proof that every intervention improves performance.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Psychological skills training for sport-related outcomes: An umbrella review of evidence credibility and methodological quality
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42571653DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2026.2715216Reader discussion
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