Trait Courage, Attachment to God, and Mental Well-Being Among U.S. Collegiate Athletes.

In recent decades, scholars and practitioners alike have devoted increased attention to the psychological well-being of student-athletes. However, to date, far less research has examined the role of virtues, religion, and spirituality in contributing to well-being in student-athlete populations. In this study, we attempt to address these gaps by (a) assessing the association between trait courage, an understudied virtue in the sporting realm, and mental well-being, and then (b) considering how student-athletes' attachment to God might moderate the association between trait courage and depressive symptoms. Drawing on a sample of 415 student-athletes from the USA, regression results illustrate that courage was not significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms among student-athletes. However, a secure attachment to God appeared to function as a compensatory resource for student-athletes lacking in courage. On the contrary, athletes with low trait courage but who reported greater avoidant attachment to God reported greater depressive symptoms. Taken together, a more positive relationship with God could help provide athletes with lower trait courage a way to find meaning and strength that helps them with emotion-regulation strategies to deal with the pressures within and beyond their sport. This study clearly shows that greater attention should be paid to the religious and spiritual development of student-athletes.

Attachment to God, Contingent Self-Worth, and Mental Health Outcomes in U.S. Collegiate Athletes.

Scholars and practitioners have recently devoted increased attention to the psychological well-being of student-athletes. However, sparse research has examined the role of religion/spirituality in well-being in athletic populations. In a sample of U.S. collegiate athletes (N = 415), the present study assessed how the divine relationship, measured by attachment style to God, associates with depressive and anxiety symptoms in a sample of collegiate student-athletes, as well as the mediating role of contingent self-worth based on the approval of others in this process. Results show that secure attachment to God is associated with fewer mental illness symptoms, whereas avoidant and anxious attachment to God are associated with greater mental illness symptoms. Contingent self-worth based on others' approval partially mediates each of these associations. Implications for the religion and health literature and sport practitioners are discussed.