CORRELATION BETWEEN JUNIORS’ MENTAL HEALTH PARAMETERS AND SPORTS MOTIVATION

Abstract

o explore the relationship between mental health parameters and sports motivation among junior athletes. Methods: The research sample included junior athletes aged 15–19 who trained regularly and pursued sports as a means of professional self-realization. An equal number of male (n = 32; 50.00%) and female athletes (n = 32; 50.00%) were selected. The sample maintained a balance between individual and team sports, with n = 32 (50.00%) participants from individual sports and n = 32 (50.00%) from team sports. Descriptive statistics for the sample were as follows: M = 18.12; SD = ±2.97; Me = 18.00. The parameters of mental health, the level of juniors’ positive mental health and health status, and groups of intrinsic and extrinsic motives were measured with valid and reliable psycho-diagnostic tools. Standard coefficients were used to establish statistical significance. Results. Two athletes’ profiles were created: a three-dimensional profile of mental health and a profile of sports motivation. Eighteen significant correlations between the parameters of groups of intrinsic and extrinsic motives and the mental health of athletes were established (p ≤ .050; p ≤ .010; p ≤ .001), three of them being inverse. The motive of skill development has the strongest correlations with an internal locus of control over health, positive mental health, and health status. The comparative matrix allowed for identifying the superiority of Group 1 (a high level of the parameters of mental health) in four pairs of dimensions: positive mental health and positive emotions; an internal locus of control and skill development; positive mental health and skill development; health status and skill development. No significant difference was found in the level of health status (Group 1 > 38.00 ≤ 1 Group 2) in the parameter “demotivation”. Discussion and conclusions. It was substantiated that systematic work on oneself, which manifests in self-improvement of technical and practical skills, allows purposeful and hard-working junior athletes to achieve remarkable sports results. The motives of learning new things and positive emotions with four direct correlations each are the most dependent ones. There is a caveat that junior athletes’ health status as a complex state of physical, emotional, and mental well-being may weaken sports motivation. It was recommended that the results obtained should be considered by administrators, coaches, psychologists, and managers of sports institutions who work with junior athletes