The role of self-compassion in athlete mindfulness and burnout: Examination of the effects of gender differences

• Published in: Personality and individual differences Vol. 166; p. 110167
• Main Authors: Amemiya, Rei, Sakairi, Yosuke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2020; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Athletes; Burnout; Clubs; Females; Gender differences; Males; Mental health; Mindfulness; Moderated mediation analysis; Questionnaires; Self compassion; Sociodemographics; Sport; Sympathy; SC; ABQ; Sport; Burnout; Moderated mediation analysis; Self-compassion; BOSA; AMQ; Mental health; MF; Gender differences; Mindfulness
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110167

This study clarified the role of self-compassion as a mediating variable in the relationship between mindfulness and burnout and its gender differences among athletes. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Participants were 152 athletes (male = 127, female = 25, mean age = 19.52 years, SD = 1.89) who belonged to their university athletic clubs. They answered a questionnaire comprising socio-demographic variables, the Athlete Mindfulness Questionnaire, Japanese short version of the Self-Compression Scale, and Burnout Scale for University Athletes. The results showed that female athletes scored lower on mindfulness, self-compassion, and one subscale of the Burnout Scale compared to male athletes. Furthermore, dispositional mindfulness was indirectly negatively associated with burnout through self-compassion. In a moderated mediation analysis, the mediating effect of self-compassion on the relationship between mindfulness and burnout was only observed in female athletes. Among male athletes, mindfulness showed a direct positive association with self-compassion and a negative association with burnout, and self-compassion was not directly associated with burnout. Thus, female athletes have low dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion, similar to the members of the general public. Moreover, the associations between mindfulness and self-compassion and burnout are different among male and female athletes. •Associations of mindfulness and self-compassion vary among male and female athletes.•Female athletes have low dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion.•Dispositional mindfulness was negatively linked to burnout through self-compassion in females.•Mindfulness was directly positively associated with self-compassion in male athletes.