The Effect of Mental Training in Sports on Psychological Recovery in Athletes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19256759Keywords:
Mental training, psychological recovery, Athlete psychology, sports psychologyAbstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of mental training in sports on psychological recovery. The population of the study consisted of athletes actively involved in different sports in 2025-2026; the sample group consisted of 240 active athletes selected by random sampling and who voluntarily participated in the study. The data collection tools used were a personal information form, the Mental Training Inventory in Sports adapted into Turkish by Yarayan and İlhan (2018), and the Psychological Recovery Scale in Sports (PRSS) developed by Kayğusuz and Karagözoğlu (2023). The findings show that there is no significant difference in the total mental training scores and subscale scores in sports in terms of gender, discipline, level of sports participation, and level of education. However, it was found that male athletes had lower interpersonal skills levels compared to female athletes; amateur athletes had lower interpersonal skills levels compared to professional athletes; athletes aged 18 to 22 had lower interpersonal skills levels compared to athletes aged 31 and above; and athletes with 1 to 3 years of sports experience had lower interpersonal skills levels compared to athletes with 10 years or more of sports experience. Furthermore, it was determined that male athletes have lower levels of recovery compared to female athletes; athletes aged 18 to 22 have lower levels of recovery compared to athletes aged 31 and above; and athletes with 1 to 3 years of sports experience have lower levels of recovery compared to athletes with 10 years or more of sports experience. A simple linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the predictive effect of athletes' mental training levels on psychological recovery. The results revealed that mental basic skills and mental performance skills, which are sub-dimensions of mental training, significantly predicted psychological recovery. In conclusion, the research findings show that mental training contributes to psychological recovery and also plays an effective and important role in the mental health and psychological well-being of athletes. In this regard, it is recommended that exercise and sports trainers, sports psychologists, and athletic performance specialists include regular and systematic mental skills training in their training programs.
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