Effectiveness of the mindfulness-acceptance-commitment-based approach on athletic performance and sports competition anxiety: a randomized clinical trial
M. Dehghani, Azadeh Delbar Saf, Asghar Vosoughi, Giti Tebbenouri, Hadi Ghazanfari Zarnagh
Electronic Physician May 1, 2018 DOI: 10.19082/6749 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 31 |
| Population | Students with 3 to 5 years of athletic experience, including basketball players, at Iran University of Medical Sciences |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) |
| Duration | 8 sessions |
| Measures | Charbonneau Sports Performance Questionnaire, Action and Acceptance Questionnaire (AAQ), Sports Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) Questionnaire |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | The MAC intervention significantly increased basketball performance and significantly decreased experiential avoidance and sports competition anxiety compared with a control group (p<0.05), with a moderate between-group effect size (Eta squared). The authors conclude that the mindfulness-acceptance-commitment approach is an effective intervention for these outcomes in athletes. |
Abstract
Background: Improving sports performance and reducing anxiety is one of the most important goals of athletes. Recurrence of symptoms and treatment cessation are common problems with common interventions. Approaches based on mindfulness-acceptance-commitment (MAC) can be a response to these limitations Objective The main purpose of the present study was to determine effectiveness of the mindfulness-acceptance-commitment-based approach to athletic performance enhancement and sports competition anxiety in students who have had athletic experience for 3 to 5 years.
Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted at the Faculty of Educational Sciences of Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran, from May 1, 2017 to September 15, 2017. A total of 31 students were randomly assigned to experimental (n=15) and control groups (n=16). The experimental group received the protocol Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) for 8 sessions. Subjects completed the Charbonneau Sports Performance Questionnaire, Action and Acceptance Questionnaire (AAQ) and Sports Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) Questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted by using multivariate covariance analysis (MANCOVA) by SPSS-22.
Results: The results of the study indicated that the MAC approach increases significantly the performance of basketball playing athletes (p<0.05). Furthermore, the MAC approach decreases significantly experiential avoidance and sports anxiety in athletes (p<0.05). The size of the difference between the groups is moderate (Eta squared).
Conclusions: This study revealed that the mindfulness-acceptance-commitment-based approach is an effective intervention to increasing athletic performance and reducing experiential avoidance and sports anxiety in athletes. Trial registration The trial was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (http://www.irct.ir) with the Irct ID: IRCT20170409033333N1.
Funding: This study has been financially supported by the Research Deputy of Iran University of Medical Sciences (Code: 95-04-185-29333).
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 15
- Effect of yoga and mindfulness on psychological correlates in young athletes: A meta-analysis. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine 2023
- Exploring mindfulness interventions across cultures: a comparative meta-analysis of mindfulness interventions for athletes in Western and Eastern contexts Frontiers in Psychology October 31, 2024
- Mindfulness and impulsive behavior: exploring the mediating roles of self-reflection and coping effectiveness among high-level athletes in Central China Frontiers in Psychology January 11, 2024
- Effects of long-term mindfulness meditation training on attentional capacity in professional male fencer athletes. Scientific Reports April 15, 2025
- Flow Training Program: Mindfulness, Decision Making, and Mental Well-Being of Young and Adult Elite Handball Athletes. Sports June 7, 2024
and 10 more in the library
Cites 3
- Mindfulness Mechanisms in Sports: Mediating Effects of Rumination and Emotion Regulation on Sport-Specific Coping Mindfulness May 3, 2017
- Effects of a Mindfulness Intervention on Sports-Anxiety, Pessimism, and Flow in Competitive Cyclists. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being March 2016
- A systematic review of mechanisms of change in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in the treatment of recurrent major depressive disorder. Clinical Psychology Review April 1, 2015