Abstract
Elite athletes often experience various anxiety symptoms and disorders that, if left untreated, can negatively impact their mental well-being, psychological functioning, and athletic performance. While mental toughness (MT) is generally viewed as advantageous in terms of mental health (MH) outcomes, previous research has suggested that excessively high MT levels may lead to maladaptive behaviors, such as ignoring injuries or delaying help-seeking, which can exacerbate MH challenges. Lately, official organizations (e.g., NCAA) have emphasized the need for structured and regular MH screening (e.g., anxiety) of elite athletes. PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between MT and anxiety in NCAA student-athletes, specifically testing for a non-linear trend. METHODS: During MH screening, a cross-sectional sample of 493 NCAA student-athletes representing multiple varsity sports (Mage = 19.9 ± 3.1 years; 57% female) completed the Mental Toughness Index (MTI; range 7–56) and the Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ; range 10–50; threshold = 17). Due to a right-skewed distribution in MTI scores (ceiling effect), a square-root plus one transform was applied to MTI, which was then centered for modeling. A quadratic regression using ordinary least squares examined associations between transformed MTI and APSQ scores. Model assumptions were confirmed, and the parabola’s vertex was back-transformed to locate the MT level associated with peak anxiety. RESULTS: The model explained 33% of the variance in anxiety (R² = .33, p < .001). A significant negative quadratic term (β₂ = –2.12, p < .001) indicated a concave-down relationship, with the highest predicted anxiety at a mid-range MTI value (26.60). Anxiety levels at this MTI score exceeded the clinical threshold (17), whereas both lower and higher MTI levels corresponded to comparatively lower predicted anxiety. CONCLUSION: Moderate MT levels appear linked to the highest anxiety, while lower and higher MT levels show comparatively reduced anxiety. While these findings support the hypothesis of a non-linear relationship between MT and anxiety, the specific result (i.e., that moderate MT levels are associated with peak anxiety) was unexpected. These findings add to the growing evidence challenging views of MT as uniformly beneficial and further highlight the potential nuanced relationship between MT and MH outcomes. Collegiate athletic programs’ screening programs may benefit from targeting moderate MT levels for additional anxiety assessment. Future studies should attempt to replicate these findings and incorporate longitudinal designs to clarify causation.
Recommended Citation
Rollins, Gabriel; Rimer, Ernest; Smith, Xavier; Wells, Nathan; Hayes, Brett; Daily, Jennifer; Peters, Christopher; and Stamatis, Andreas
(2025)
"Non-Linear Relationship Between Mental Toughness and Anxiety in NCAA Athletes: Unexpected Mid-Range Vulnerability,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2:
Iss.
17, Article 51.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss17/51
Included in
Health and Physical Education Commons, Medical Education Commons, Sports Sciences Commons
