Addressing Mental Health Issues and the Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Interventions among Athletes

<p>This literature review identifies mental health concerns among competitive athletes and evaluates psychological interventions to address these challenges. Specifically, the review explores the mental health concerns experienced by athletes engaged in high-level sport. It examines whether cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based interventions are effective approaches for improving psychological outcomes in this population. A systematic review of peer-reviewed research was conducted, and findings were synthesized to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based interventions. The review included randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, and meta-analyses examining psychological interventions in athletic populations. Findings across the literature indicate that both cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based interventions are associated with improvements in anxiety, mood, emotional regulation, stress, burnout, psychological skills, cognitive and physiological components, and athletic performance, ultimately supporting overall well-being. Several interventions demonstrated moderate to large effect sizes across diverse athletic populations, including collegiate, competitive, para-athletes, and injured athletes. These findings highlight the clinical efficacy of evidence-based psychological interventions for addressing mental health concerns in athletes and underscore the importance of integrating mental health services within sport environments to support both psychological health and performance.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation - Public Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Clinical Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2026

Author dc:creator

• Jones-Stachnik, Shelby

Contributors dc:contributor

• Elizabeth Lane, Ph.D.
• Gary Howell, Psy.D.

• sports
• athletics
• psychology
• therapy
• Behavioral Disciplines and Activities
• Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms
• Clinical Psychology
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Health Psychology
• Mental and Social Health
• Other Psychiatry and Psychology
• Other Rehabilitation and Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Psychiatric and Mental Health
• Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy
• Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Practices
• Sports Sciences
• Sports Studies

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/978

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.nl.edu:diss-2051