The Relationship between mood, competitive anxiety, and injuries

Background: Athletic success depends not only on physical performance and psychological well-being but also on the effective emotional regulation of adaptive processes to prevent sports injuries in stressful situations such as competition. This study analyzes the relationship between emotional state...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Boladeras, Ana, Gil Caselles, Laura|||0000-0001-7097-4693, Moreno Fernández, Isabel María, Guillén Cots, Joel|||0009-0005-0184-9377, García-Naveira, Alejo|||0000-0003-2249-4198, Ruiz Barquín, Roberto|||0000-0002-7149-2685, Olmedilla Zafra, Aurelio|||0000-0002-2389-0515
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:318778
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/318778
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.3390/app15137585
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Mental health
Injury
Volleyball
Female players
Psychological predictors
Descripción
Sumario:Background: Athletic success depends not only on physical performance and psychological well-being but also on the effective emotional regulation of adaptive processes to prevent sports injuries in stressful situations such as competition. This study analyzes the relationship between emotional state, pre-competitive anxiety, and injury incidence in female volleyball players throughout an entire competitive season. Methods: The POMS and CSAI-2 questionnaires were administered before 16 league matches to 21 high-performance players (mean age = 29.66 ± 5.19 years). Results: Players exhibited an iceberg mood profile with low levels of pre-competitive anxiety. Negative moods were higher at the start and decreased over time, while positive moods increased as matches progressed (p < 0.05). Anxiety remained stable throughout. Additionally, 28.6% of players experienced injuries; injured players showed higher cognitive anxiety, lower self-confidence, and emotional instability, suggesting a potential psychological risk profile for injury, even though group differences did not reach statistical significance. Significant correlations were found between Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) and cognitive anxiety (r = 0.49, p < 0.05) and between vigor and self-confidence (r = 0.52, p < 0.01), indicating a bidirectional relationship. A bidirectional relationship between mood and anxiety was confirmed, highlighting the POMS Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) index as a global emotional indicator. Conclusions: These findings suggest that managing worries, self-confidence, and emotional balance are key factors in injury prevention, emphasizing the importance of regularly monitoring and managing psychological indicators as part of injury prevention strategies.