Search

The public health policies and sanitary measures taken by governments in various countries to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g. lockdown, social distancing) have major implications for athletes. The radical changes are challenging and risk causing significant career disruption to athletes, with subsequent negative psychological effects. Thus, the ways athletes cope with such adversity is of critical importance. The present study aimed to identify athletes' coping profiles using a person-centred approach, based on their reported use of multiple coping strategies in response to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, and to compare levels of anxiety, stress appraisals, interpersonal coping strategies, and availability and appreciation of the major sources of support across profiles. A total of 526 French athletes competing at national to elite levels answered an online questionnaire during the lockdown. Latent profile analysis results yielded four distinct coping profiles (i.e. self-reliant, engaged, avoidant, active and social). The MANOVA showed that athletes belonging to the four profiles differed on anxiety, stress appraisals, social support, and interpersonal coping. In particular, avoidant copers reported high levels of anxiety, threat, and uncontrollability, and appeared less able to regulate responses to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. Using a person-centred approach, the findings could inform the development of more adequate care, support, and intervention for athletes, especially avoidant copers, who were characterized by the least effective coping skills and resources. Accordingly, stress reappraisal and stress mindset interventions could be promising approaches to effectively manage pandemic-related impact during and after the COVID-19 crisis. Highlights The COVID-19 outbreak has major implications for athletes and is causing significant disruption to their careers. Using a person-centred approach, four coping profiles emerge showing athletes' preferred use of several coping strategies in response. The four coping profiles (i.e. self-reliant, engaged, avoidant, active and social) differentiate distinct groups of athletes in relation to anxiety, stress appraisals, social support, and interpersonal coping. Avoidant copers were characterized by the least effective coping skills and social context of coping. Management of the COVID-19 situation may be more problematic for them than other in mitigating its negative psychological effects. Using a person-centred approach, the findings could inform the development of more adequate care, support, and intervention for athletes, especially avoidant copers, who were characterized by the least effective coping skills and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of how team sport athletes cope with stress in a collective way (i.e., communal coping , Lyons, Mickelson, Sullivan, & Coyne, 1998) is recent in sport. To date no questionnaire has been created to assess the specific communal coping strategies that team sport athletes use to cope collectively. The purpose of this study was therefore to develop and validate a questionnaire measuring communal coping at the team sport level (i.e., the Communal Coping Strategies Inventory for Competitive Team Sports - CCSICTS). Study 1 focused on creating items for the CCSICTS and tested their clarity and applicability. Study 2 tested the factorial structure of the CCSICTS with a sample of 371 Sport Science students. Study 3 examined the convergent validity of the questionnaire with other concepts such as affect, individual coping and cohesion. Study 1 resulted in the development of an initial pool comprising 66 items. The results of Study 2 showed that a model with 36 items fit the data well. These items measured 12 coping strategies, 11 of which are grouped into four higher-order dimensions. Study 3 showed congruent links between communal coping and tested concepts. The CCSICTS is the first known measure specifically created to capture the singularity of communal coping in team sports. The validation of this tool allows new investigations of communal coping mechanisms through quantitative studies. • The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire (i.e., the CCSICTS) measuring communal coping in team sports. • The structure of the CCSICTS consisted of 12 communal coping strategies, 11 of which are grouped into four higher order dimensions. • The CCSICTS is the first known measure specifically created to capture the singularity of communal coping in team sports. • The CCSICTS allows further investigations of communal coping process through quantitative studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]