| Effectiveness of Mindfulness Interventions on Psychological Resilience and Competitive Anxiety in Endurance Runners |
| Paper ID : 1197-SPORTCONGRESS |
| Authors |
|
Farimah Mahinpour * Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran |
| Abstract |
| Introduction: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are increasingly recognized for their potential to enhance psychological resilience and reduce competitive anxiety in athletes. Endurance running demands sustained attention, emotional regulation, and effective stress management, making resilience critical for performance. This study examined the efficacy of an 8-week MBI on resilience and competitive anxiety in competitive endurance runners. Methods: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with 24 endurance runners (ages 18–28), randomly assigned to MBI (n=12) or control (n=12) groups. The intervention consisted of eight weekly 75-minute sessions emphasizing breath-focused mindfulness, body scan, and movement awareness adapted for endurance sports. Psychological resilience was measured using the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and competitive anxiety was assessed via the Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT). Pre- and post-intervention scores were analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA (α = 0.05). Results: Participants receiving MBI demonstrated significant improvements in resilience scores (mean = 10.5 ± 2.3) compared to controls (mean = 2.1 ± 1.8; p < 0.001). Competitive anxiety significantly decreased in the MBI group (mean = 7.4 ± 1.9) relative to controls (mean = 1.3 ± 1.5; p < 0.001). No adverse effects were reported. Conclusion: An 8-week mindfulness-based intervention significantly enhances psychological resilience and reduces competitive anxiety in endurance runners. Integration of MBIs into routine training protocols may optimize mental preparedness, stress coping, and athletic performance. |
| Keywords |
| mindfulness, resilience, competitive anxiety, endurance runners |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |
