Is Mindfulness the Common Ground Between Mental Toughness and Self-Compassion in Student Athletes? A Cross-Sectional Study

Bibliographic Data

ID16946360
AuthorsZacharias Papadakis (0000-0001-8437-8067, Barry University), Shana M Walsh (Peru State College), Grant B Morgan (0000-0002-3077-4643, Baylor University), Paul Deal (0000-0001-8163-4571, State University of New York), Andreas Stamatis (0000-0001-9438-0558, University of Louisville, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume15
Issue6
Pages95
Publication date2025-05-31
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2174-8144 • E-ISSN: 2254-9625
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/ejihpe15060095
PMID40558838
OpenAlexW4411000386
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited43

This study interrogates whether mental toughness (MT) and self-compassion (SC)—historically framed as oppositional constructs—can coexist synergistically among NCAA Division II, III, and NAIA collegiate athletes, with mindfulness as a hypothesized mediator. A cross-sectional survey of 396 participants (mean age: 19.8 yrs ± 1.9 SD; females: 51%), revealed a robust MT–SC correlation (r = 0.46), which attenuated to 0.31 when mindfulness was modeled, signaling its role as a partial mediator. Hierarchical regression controlling for sex showed that MT and sex together explained 22% of the SC variance (ΔR2 = 0.22, p

Athletes · Cross-sectional study · Mental toughness · Mindfulness · Physical therapy · Self-compassion · Clinical Psychology · Medicine · Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions · Music Therapy and Health · Psychology · Resilience and Mental Health

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