Examining the Effects of Mindfulness–Acceptance–Commitment Training on Self-Compassion and Grit among Elite Female Athletes

Mahmoud Mohebi, Dena Sadeghi-Bahmani, Sahar Zarei, Hassan Gharayagh Zandi and Serge Brand
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Mahmoud Mohebi: Department of Motor Behaviour and Sport Psychology, University of Tehran, Tehran 1439813117, Iran
Dena Sadeghi-Bahmani: Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Sahar Zarei: Department of Motor Behaviour and Sport Psychology, University of Tehran, Tehran 1439813117, Iran
Hassan Gharayagh Zandi: Department of Motor Behaviour and Sport Psychology, University of Tehran, Tehran 1439813117, Iran
Serge Brand: Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders, University of Basel, Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), 4052 Basel, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Background: Mindfulness-based interventions are well-established in the field of psychotherapy, and such interventions have also gained increased attention in the field of sport psychology, either to cope with psychological pressure or to improve an athlete’s performance. The goal of the present study was to examine whether a Mindfulness–Acceptance–Commitment (MAC) program could increase self-compassion and grit among elite female athletes compared to an active control condition. To this end, we performed a randomized trial among female adult athletes. Methods: Forty female adult athletes (M age = 22.22, SD = 2.40) were randomly assigned either to the Mindfulness–Acceptance–Commitment group ( n = 20; 7 group sessions, 60 min each) or the active control group ( n = 20; 7 group sessions, 60 min each). At baseline, seven weeks later at the end of the study and again four weeks later at follow-up, participants completed a series of self-rating questionnaires on mindfulness, self-compassion and grit. Results: Dimensions of mindfulness, self-compassion and grit improved over time, but more so in the Mindfulness–Acceptance–Commitment condition compared to the active control condition. Improvements remained stable from the study end to follow-up. Conclusions: While the active control condition improved dimensions of mindfulness, self-compassion and grit among female adult athletes, improvements were much stronger in the Mindfulness–Acceptance–Commitment condition. Importantly, improvements in the Mindfulness–Acceptance–Commitment condition remained stable over a time lapse of four weeks at follow-up after study completion, suggesting that the Mindfulness–Acceptance–Commitment intervention appeared to improve cognitive–emotional learning processes.

Keywords: Mindfulness–Acceptance–Commitment intervention; active control intervention; females; elite athletes; grit; self-compassion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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