The relationship between psychological capital and athlete burnout: the mediating relationship of coping strategies and the moderating relationship of perceived stress
Abstract Background Athlete burnout represents a critical concern in sports psychology, significantly affecting athletes’ well-being and performance. This study examined the relationships among psychological capital, coping strategies, perceived stress, and athlete burnout. Methods A cross-sectional...
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2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02379-8 |
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| author | Xiaomei Yu Suxuan Xing Yang Yang |
| author_facet | Xiaomei Yu Suxuan Xing Yang Yang |
| author_sort | Xiaomei Yu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Athlete burnout represents a critical concern in sports psychology, significantly affecting athletes’ well-being and performance. This study examined the relationships among psychological capital, coping strategies, perceived stress, and athlete burnout. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 344 athletes, and data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics 25.0 and PROCESS Macro v4.1 for hierarchical stepwise regression and moderated mediation analysis. Control variables included age, gender, sport type, and competitive experience. Results The results revealed that psychological capital negatively associated with burnout both directly ( $$\beta$$ β = -0.539, p < 0.01) and indirectly (a*b = -0.803, p < 0.01) through coping strategies. Furthermore, perceived stress influenced both the relationship between psychological capital and coping strategies and the indirect effect of psychological capital on burnout via coping strategies. Notably, under high-stress conditions, the negative association of psychological capital was more pronounced, with a more substantial indirect effect compared to low-stress conditions ( $$\beta$$ β = -1.020, p < .01 vs. $$\beta$$ β = -0.299, p < .01). Conclusions These findings underscore the importance of cultivating psychological resources and adaptive coping mechanisms to mitigate burnout, offering valuable insights for targeted interventions aimed at enhancing the well-being of athletes, particularly those experiencing elevated stress levels. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-519653cccae34c8e89b400ba1c38f82e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2050-7283 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-519653cccae34c8e89b400ba1c38f82e2025-01-26T12:58:13ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832025-01-0113111310.1186/s40359-025-02379-8The relationship between psychological capital and athlete burnout: the mediating relationship of coping strategies and the moderating relationship of perceived stressXiaomei Yu0Suxuan Xing1Yang Yang2College of Physical Education (Gymnastics Academy), Chengdu Sport UniversityCollege of Sport Training, Chengdu Sport UniversityCollege of Physical Education (Gymnastics Academy), Chengdu Sport UniversityAbstract Background Athlete burnout represents a critical concern in sports psychology, significantly affecting athletes’ well-being and performance. This study examined the relationships among psychological capital, coping strategies, perceived stress, and athlete burnout. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 344 athletes, and data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics 25.0 and PROCESS Macro v4.1 for hierarchical stepwise regression and moderated mediation analysis. Control variables included age, gender, sport type, and competitive experience. Results The results revealed that psychological capital negatively associated with burnout both directly ( $$\beta$$ β = -0.539, p < 0.01) and indirectly (a*b = -0.803, p < 0.01) through coping strategies. Furthermore, perceived stress influenced both the relationship between psychological capital and coping strategies and the indirect effect of psychological capital on burnout via coping strategies. Notably, under high-stress conditions, the negative association of psychological capital was more pronounced, with a more substantial indirect effect compared to low-stress conditions ( $$\beta$$ β = -1.020, p < .01 vs. $$\beta$$ β = -0.299, p < .01). Conclusions These findings underscore the importance of cultivating psychological resources and adaptive coping mechanisms to mitigate burnout, offering valuable insights for targeted interventions aimed at enhancing the well-being of athletes, particularly those experiencing elevated stress levels.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02379-8Positive psychologySport psychologyMental healthStress managementAthletic performancePsychological well-being |
| spellingShingle | Xiaomei Yu Suxuan Xing Yang Yang The relationship between psychological capital and athlete burnout: the mediating relationship of coping strategies and the moderating relationship of perceived stress BMC Psychology Positive psychology Sport psychology Mental health Stress management Athletic performance Psychological well-being |
| title | The relationship between psychological capital and athlete burnout: the mediating relationship of coping strategies and the moderating relationship of perceived stress |
| title_full | The relationship between psychological capital and athlete burnout: the mediating relationship of coping strategies and the moderating relationship of perceived stress |
| title_fullStr | The relationship between psychological capital and athlete burnout: the mediating relationship of coping strategies and the moderating relationship of perceived stress |
| title_full_unstemmed | The relationship between psychological capital and athlete burnout: the mediating relationship of coping strategies and the moderating relationship of perceived stress |
| title_short | The relationship between psychological capital and athlete burnout: the mediating relationship of coping strategies and the moderating relationship of perceived stress |
| title_sort | relationship between psychological capital and athlete burnout the mediating relationship of coping strategies and the moderating relationship of perceived stress |
| topic | Positive psychology Sport psychology Mental health Stress management Athletic performance Psychological well-being |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02379-8 |
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