The relationship between mindfulness, psychological well-being, goal orientation and the propensity to use ergogenic aids (legal/illegal)

Summary

The study explores the relationship between mindfulness, psychological wellbeing, and the propensity to use Performance-Enhancing Drugs (PEDs). It seeks to determine whether the first two of said variables are associated and discover whether their levels affect young athletes’ decision to dope.

Methodology

The study follows a cross-sectional research design and examines quantitative data obtained from a survey of three hundred and forty-six (346) talented young athletes between the ages of twelve and twenty-one in South Africa (one hundred and thirty-eight (138) were female and two hundred and eight (208) were male). The data collection took place at a high-performance centre of the South African Academy and at four private high schools. The participants were administered two validated questionnaires (i.e., Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire [FFMQ] and Ryff's Psychological Wellbeing Scale), and a self-constructed questionnaire to see the level of propensity of athletes to use Performance-Enhancing Drugs (PEDs).

Results

Research has shown a statistically significant correlation between mindfulness and psychological wellbeing based on the ratios corresponding to the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and Ryff’s Psychological Wellbeing Scale. It identified two possible predictors of propensity to use PEDs through logistic regression and cross tabulation. The study concludes that mindfulness and psychological well-being were inversely related to the propensity to use PEDs, i.e., the lower the mindfulness and psychological well-being, the higher the chances that a talented young athlete will use PEDs.

Significance for Clean Sport

The study has clarified that despite strategies of effective drug testing disincentivizing athletes from doping, thirty (30) percent of South African athletes use a dietary supplement, underscoring the need for stricter regulations. Based on its findings, the study proposes that mindfulness and psychological training may contribute to decreasing the likelihood of athletes to dope. 

Related Publications

Mindfulness, psychological well-being and doping in talented young high-school athletes