The Efficacy of a Mental Skills Training Course for Collegiate Athletes

BACKGROUND: Psychological skills training has been shown to improve performance in athletes. However, few studies have looked at the efficacy of mental skills training programs in young athletes. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate satisfaction of collegiate athletes with a 6-session mental skills course, and to assess changes in mental toughness and coping skills before and after the course. METHODS: We conducted a 6-session mental skills training program with Division I female collegiate athletes during the fall of 2020. Athletes completed pre-course, post-course, and 4-month questionnaires to assess efficacy of the course, as well as their satisfaction. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, none of the athletes were actively competing at the time of the course or during follow-up surveys. Demographic information was collected and the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI, range=0-84) and Mental Toughness Inventory (MTI, range=8-56) were used to assess coping skills and mental toughness at all time points. Satisfaction was assessed on a ten-point scale, with 10 being most satisfied. RESULTS: Fifty-four Division I female athletes participated in the program. Mean age was 19.8 years, 61% reported training in their sport for 8 or more months a year, 26% reported history of mental health conditions, and 22% reported being injured or recovering from injury at the time of participation. For participants with paired pre- and post-course data (n=37, 68.5%), MTI scores improved by a mean 2.6 points (95% CI=1.1-4.1; p=0.001) and ASCI scores improved by a mean 4.0 points (95% CI=0.6-7.4; p=0.02) from pre- to post-course. For participants with paired data for pre-course and four-month follow-up (n=25, 46.2%), no change was detected in mean MTI score (p=0.72). There was, however, a mean increase of 3.4 points in mean ASCI from pre-course to four-month follow-up (95% CI=0.4-6.4; p=0.03). Overall satisfaction had a median score of 9/10 at the post-course assessment, and eighteen participants (18/37, 48.6%) shared positive free-text comments regarding course delivery, content, and impact. No negative feedback was reported. CONCLUSION: Following a 6-session mental skills course in collegiate female athletes, mental toughness and coping skills scores significantly improved at post-course assessment. Athletes reported being highly satisfied with the content of the course and reported overall positive experiences.