Preferred Name
Shir Wasserman
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Date of Graduation
8-12-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)
Department
Graduate Psychology
Advisor(s)
Robert Harmison
Abstract
With the growing importance of athletes’ mental health in sport, there is an escalating need for understanding the multifaceted nature of the concept, including related individual and environmental factors (Nixdorf et al., 2023). Previous studies suggest that athletes’ engagement with their social environment can potentially influence their mental health outcomes (Reis, 2001). Additionally, studies examining the coach-athlete relationship have consistently affirmed the significance of this connection to various athlete-related outcomes, including aspects of mental health and overall well-being (Jowett & Shanmagum, 2016). Therefore, this study explored the relationship between coach-created motivational climate, athletes' mental health, and the mitigating effects of psychological safety and psychological resilience in a sample of 118 collegiate athletes.
Overall, the results of the study found that psychological safety partially mediated the relationship between perceived coach-created motivational climate and athlete mental health. Psychological safety mediated the relationship in two paths, the first between empowering motivational climate and sport well-being, and the second between disempowering motivational climate and athlete psychological strain. These findings underscore the importance of athletes experiencing an adaptive climate to foster higher levels of psychological safety on their teams and subsequently expereince higher levels of well-being. Moreover, the results provide evidence for the pivotal role of a coach in creating a psychologically safe environment for athletes. Lastly, this study demonstrates the need to study environmental and individual factors impacting athletes’ mental health.
Recommended Citation
Wasserman, Shir, "The Impact of Coach-Created Motivational Climate on Athletes’ Mental Health and the Mitigating Effects of Psychological Safety and Psychological Resiliency" (2024). Dissertations, 2020-current. 157.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/diss202029/157
Included in
Counseling Psychology Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Other Psychology Commons, Sports Studies Commons
