The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Emotional Self-Regulation and Psychological Capital among Professional Athletes
Downloads
Objective: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on emotional self-regulation and psychological capital among professional athletes
Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study used a pretest–posttest control group design. The statistical population consisted of professional athletes living in Tehran, Iran, in 2025. Thirty athletes were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group, with 15 participants in each group. The experimental group received eight weekly 90-minute group sessions of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, while the control group received no psychological intervention. Data were collected using the Emotional Self-Regulation Questionnaire and the Psychological Capital Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance and univariate ANCOVA in SPSS version 27.
Findings: After controlling for pretest scores, the multivariate effect of group was statistically significant, Wilks’ Lambda = .241, F(2, 25) = 39.36, p < .001, partial η² = .759. The univariate results showed that Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy had a significant effect on emotional self-regulation, F(1, 27) = 54.31, p < .001, partial η² = .668, and psychological capital, F(1, 27) = 60.99, p < .001, partial η² = .693. The intervention also significantly improved self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism.
Conclusion: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy appears to be an effective intervention for improving emotional self-regulation and psychological capital among professional athletes. This intervention may help athletes manage emotional pressure more effectively and strengthen psychological resources essential for coping and performance.
Downloads
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Macmillan. https://www.scribd.com/document/392014248/Self-efficacy-The-Exercise-of-Control-1997
Beck, J. S. (2020). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond. Guilford Publications. https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/PI
Gill, V. S., Sullivan, G., Stearns, H., Tummala, S. V., Haglin, J. M., Economopoulos, K. J., Marks, L., & Chauhan, M. (2024). Mental health in elite athletes: a systematic review of suicidal behaviour as compared to the general population. Sports medicine, 54(6), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-01998-2
Gross, J. J. (1998). The emerging field of emotion regulation: An integrative review. Review of general psychology, 2(3), 271-299. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.2.3.271
Gross, J. J. (2015). Emotion regulation: Current status and future prospects. Psychological inquiry, 26(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2014.940781
Isorna-Folgar, M., Leirós-Rodríguez, R., López-Roel, S., & García-Soidán, J. L. (2022). Effects of a cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention on the rowers of the junior spain national team. Healthcare, https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10122357
Larsen, R. J., Prizmic, Z., Eid, M., & Larsen, R. (2008). Regulation of emotional well-being. The science of subjective well-being, 258-289. https://www.fachportal-paedagogik.de/literatur/vollanzeige.html?FId=2938301
Li, H., Yang, Q., & Wang, B. (2025). Effects of psychological interventions on anxiety in athletes: A meta-analysis based on controlled trials. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1621635. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1621635
Luthans, F., Avolio, B. J., Avey, J. B., & Norman, S. M. (2007). Positive psychological capital: Measurement and relationship with performance and satisfaction. Personnel psychology, 60(3), 541-572. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2007.00083.x
Schinke, R. J., Stambulova, N. B., Si, G., & Moore, Z. (2018). International society of sport psychology position stand: Athletes’ mental health, performance, and development. International journal of sport and exercise psychology, 16(6), 622-639. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2017.1295557
Snyder, C. R. (2002). Hope theory: Rainbows in the mind. Psychological inquiry, 13(4), 249-275. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1304_01
Sood, S., & Puri, D. (2023). Psychological capital and positive mental health of student-athletes: Psychometric properties of the sport psychological capital questionnaire. Current Psychology, 42(25), 21759-21774. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03272-y
Tamminen, K. A., Bonk, D., Milne, M.-J., & Watson, J. C. (2025). Emotion dysregulation, performance concerns, and mental health among Canadian athletes. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 2962. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86195-5
Tamminen, K. A., Kim, J., Danyluck, C., McEwen, C. E., Wagstaff, C. R., & Wolf, S. A. (2021). The effect of self-and interpersonal emotion regulation on athletes’ anxiety and goal achievement in competition. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 57, 102034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.102034
Yu, X., Xing, S., & Yang, Y. (2025). The relationship between psychological capital and athlete burnout: the mediating relationship of coping strategies and the moderating relationship of perceived stress. BMC psychology, 13(1), 64. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02379-8
Copyright (c) 2025 International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
