The Role of Adherence in the Effects of a Mindfulness Intervention for Competitive Athletes: Changes in Mindfulness, Flow, Pessimism, and Anxiety
Abstract
This study examined the role of degree of adherence in a mindfulness-based intervention on mindfulness, flow, sport anxiety, and sport-related pessimistic attributions in athletes. Twelve athletes participated in an 8-week mindfulness intervention which incorporated a mindfulness focus on movement training component. Participants completed baseline and posttest measures of mindfulness, flow, sport anxiety, and sport-related pessimistic attributions, and they filled out daily mindfulness-training logbooks documenting their frequency and duration of mindfulness practice. Participants were identified as either high adherence or low adherence with mindfulness-training based on a composite score of logbook practice records and workshop attendance. Athletes high in adherence, operationalized as following recommended practice of mindfulness exercises, showed significantly greater increases in mindfulness and aspects of flow, and significantly greater decreases in pessimism and anxiety than low adherence athletes. Greater increases in mindfulness from baseline to posttest were associated with greater increases in flow and greater decreases in pessimism. Increases in flow were associated with decreases in somatic anxiety and pessimism.
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By encouraging nonjudgmental attention to thoughts, bodily sensations, and emotions, MAC supports athletes' ability to manage stress and regulate somatic anxiety more effectively.
“By encouraging nonjudgmental attention to thoughts, bodily sensations, and emotions, MAC supports athletes’ ability to manage stress and regulate somatic anxiety more effectively [94–96].”
From The Effect of Different Psychological Interventions on Athletes' Competitive Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis. (2026) · cites this paper as [94]
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- Authors
- Scott-Hamilton, J., & Schutte, N. S.
- Affiliations
- 1University of New England
- University of New England (US)
- ORCID
- Schutte, Nicola S.
- Venue
- Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology
- Publisher
- Human Kinetics
- Published
- 2016-06
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 99-117
- ISSN
- 1932-9261 (ISSN-L)
- 1932-927X
- OpenAlex
- W2526230670
- Cited by
- 50
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 6.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology (publishedVersion)
- EPubDev Repository (submittedVersion)
- RUNE (Research UNE) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Sport Psychology and Performance
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Flow Experience in Various Fields
- Keywords
- mindfulness-based interventions, intervention adherence, competitive athletes, flow, competitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, mindfulness training, movement training
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