Mindfulness for Optimizing Mental Health in Sports: A Systematic Literature Review and Implications for SDG 3
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63230/jocsis.2.1.149Keywords:
Athletes, Mental Health, Mindfulness-Based Intervention, Sports Performance, Systematic Literature ReviewAbstract
Objective: To synthesize and critically appraise recent empirical evidence on the role of mindfulness in optimizing mental health in sports, particularly among athletes and coaches. Method: Employed a systematic literature review using the PRISMA guidelines. Articles were searched through ScienceDirect and Google Scholar using the keywords mindfulness, sport, and mental health. The inclusion criteria covered English-language, open-access journal articles published between 2020 and 2024 that involved athletes or coaches and discussed dispositional mindfulness, mindfulness practice, or mindfulness-based interventions. After screening 65 full-text articles, 14 studies met the eligibility criteria and were analyzed narratively. Results: The findings indicate that mindfulness contributes positively to sports performance and mental health outcomes. Mindfulness-based interventions were reported to improve resilience, self-confidence, emotion regulation, subjective performance satisfaction, mindful awareness, well-being, and sleep quality. In addition, mindfulness helped reduce stress, anxiety, depression, tension, and the likelihood of choking during sports performance. Novelty: The review highlights mindfulness not only as a psychological training strategy to enhance sports performance but also as a promising approach to optimizing mental health in sports. The study also identifies the need for more rigorous randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and across diverse sports contexts. Furthermore, the findings offer important implications for SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) by supporting the integration of evidence-based mindfulness approaches to promote psychological well-being, resilience, and mental health among athletes and coaches
References
Amemiya, R., & Sakairi, Y. (2021). Relationship between mindfulness and cognitive anxiety in athletes. Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1(2), 67–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajsep.2021.06.001
Augustus, A., Zizzi, S., Voelker, D., & Costalupes, B. (2024). Living your best life: The mindful pursuit of student-athlete thriving. Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 4(1), 11–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajsep.2023.09.004
Bishop, S. R., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L., Anderson, N. D., Carmody, J., Segal, Z. V., Abbey, S., Speca, M., Velting, D., & Devins, G. (2004). Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11(3), 230–241. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1093/clipsy.bph077
Brown, K. W., Creswell, J. D., & Ryan, R. M. (Eds.). (2015). Handbook of mindfulness: Theory, research, and practice. Guilford Press.
Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2007). Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects. Psychological Inquiry, 18(4), 211–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/10478400701598298
Bühlmayer, L., Birrer, D., Röthlin, P., Faude, O., & Donath, L. (2017). Effects of mindfulness practice on performance-relevant parameters and performance outcomes in sports: A meta-analytical review. Sports Medicine, 47(11), 2309–2321. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0752-9
Bulğay, C., Tingaz, E. O., Bayraktar, I., & Çetin, E. (2022). Athletic performance and mindfulness in track and field athletes. Current Psychology, 41(7), 4482–4489. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00967-y
Chang, W. H., Kuo, C. C., & Ni, Y. L. (2022). Mindfulness enhances changes in athletes’ subjective vitality: The moderating role of coach interpersonal style. Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2(3), 190–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajsep.2021.10.002
Creswell, J. D. (2017). Mindfulness interventions. Annual Review of Psychology, 68, 491–516. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-042716-051139
Dane, E. (2011). Paying attention to mindfulness and its effects on task performance in the workplace. Journal of Management, 37(4), 997–1018. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310367948
Glomb, T. M., Duffy, M. K., Bono, J. E., & Yang, T. (2011). Mindfulness at work. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 30, 115–157. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0742-7301(2011)0000030005
Good, D. J., Lyddy, C. J., Glomb, T. M., Bono, J. E., Brown, K. W., Duffy, M. K., Baer, R. A., Brewer, J. A., & Lazar, S. W. (2016). Contemplating mindfulness at work: An integrative review. Journal of Management, 42(1), 114–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206315617003
Hussey, J., Weinberg, R., & Assar, A. (2020). Mindfulness in sport: An intervention for a choking-susceptible athlete. Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology, 4(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1123/cssep.2019-0025
Hut, M., Glass, C. R., Degnan, K. A., & Minkler, T. O. (2021). The effects of mindfulness training on mindfulness, anxiety, emotion dysregulation, and performance satisfaction among female student-athletes: The moderating role of age. Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1(2), 75–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajsep.2021.06.002
Jones, B. J., Kaur, S., Miller, M., & Spencer, R. M. C. (2020). Mindfulness-based stress reduction benefits psychological well-being, sleep quality, and athletic performance in female collegiate rowers. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 572980. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572980
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. Hyperion.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2006). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bpg016
Kaufman, K. A., Glass, C. R., & Arnkoff, D. B. (2009). Evaluation of Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MSPE): A new approach to promote flow in athletes. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 3(4), 334–356. https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.3.4.334
Kee, Y. H., Li, C., Zhang, C. Q., & Wang, J. C. K. (2021). The wu-wei alternative: Effortless action and non-striving in the context of mindfulness practice and performance in sport. Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1(2), 122–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajsep.2021.11.001
Lau, M. A., Bishop, S. R., Segal, Z. V., Buis, T., Anderson, N. D., Carlson, L., Shapiro, S., Carmody, J., Abbey, S., & Devins, G. (2006). The Toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(12), 1445–1467. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20326
Lutz, A., Jha, A. P., Dunne, J. D., & Saron, C. D. (2015). Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective. American Psychologist, 70(7), 632–658. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039585
Myall, K., Montero-Marin, J., & Kuyken, W. (2021). Anxiety and depression during COVID-19 in elite rugby players: The role of mindfulness skills. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(22), 11940. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182211940
Oguntuase, S. B., & Sun, Y. (2022). Effects of mindfulness training on resilience, self-confidence and emotion regulation of elite football players: The mediating role of locus of control. Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2(3), 198–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajsep.2022.08.003
Puswiartika, D. (2022). Mindfulness in everyday life: Teknik praktis mindfulness untuk menjaga kesehatan mental (1st ed.). Azkiya Publishing.
Puswiartika, D., Bettega, M., Ratu, B., & Misnah. (2021). The effect of mindfulness-based intervention on service commitment of the employees of telecommunication service provider in COVID-19 pandemic. Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal, 27(5), 1–7.
Puswiartika, D., & Ratu, B. (2020). The effect of mindfulness-based intervention on work stress of nurses who work in an emergency department in a hospital in Indonesia. Jurnal Aisyah: Jurnal Ilmu Kesehatan, 5(1), 113–118. https://doi.org/10.30604/jika.v5i1.728
Puswiartika, D., Ratu, B., Hasan, H., Misnah, M., Rizal, R., & Aditya, R. (2023). Pelatihan mindfulness sebagai upaya peningkatan komitmen pelayanan perangkat Desa Kabupaten Sigi. JPPI (Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Indonesia), 9(4), 331–339. https://doi.org/10.29210/020232325
Röthlin, P., Horvath, S., Trösch, S., Holtforth, M. G., & Birrer, D. (2020). Differential and shared effects of psychological skills training and mindfulness training on performance-relevant psychological factors in sport: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychology, 8, 80. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-020-00449-7
Sondt, N., Bernier, M., Kermarrec, G., & Vacher, P. (2024). Exploring the role of mindfulness in the stress-recovery balance: 10-day monitoring of young BMX riders in an intensive training center during a pre-competition cycle. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 74, 102680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2024.102680
Tebourski, K., Bernier, M., Ben Salha, M., Souissi, N., & Fournier, J. F. (2022). Effects of mindfulness for performance programme on actual performance in ecological sport context: Two studies in basketball and table tennis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12950. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912950
Vveinhardt, J., & Kaspare, M. (2022). The relationship between mindfulness practices and the psychological state and performance of kyokushin karate athletes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(7), 4001. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074001
Wang, Y., Lei, S. M., & Fan, J. (2023). Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on promoting athletic performance and related factors among athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 2038. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032038
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Current Studies in SDGs
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
