Athlete burnout in elite sport: a self-determination perspective.
Using self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) as the theoretical framework, we examined potential antecedents of athlete burnout in 201 elite Canadian athletes (121 females, 80 males; mean age 22.9 years). Employing a cross-sectional design, our primary aims were to investigate the relationships between behavioural regulations and athlete burnout and to examine whether self-determined motivation mediated relationships between basic needs satisfaction and athlete burnout. Our self-determination theory-derived hypotheses were largely supported. Relationships among athlete burnout and behavioural regulations mostly varied according to their rank on the self-determination continuum, with less self-determined motives showing positive associations and more self-determined motives showing negative correlations with burnout. The basic needs of competence and autonomy, plus self-determined motivation, accounted for significant amounts of variance in athlete burnout symptoms (exhaustion, R(2) = 0.31; devaluation, R(2) = 0.49; reduced accomplishment, R(2) = 0.61; global burnout, R(2) = 0.74). Self-determined motivation fully mediated the relationships that competence and autonomy had with exhaustion. Analyses showed indirect relationships between these two needs and devaluation, through their associations with self-determined motivation. Motivation partially mediated the needs-reduced sense of accomplishment relationships, but the direct effects were more prominent than the indirect effects.
Irish Rugby Football Union and School of Physiotherapy and Performance Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. chris.lonsdale@ucd.ie
Chris
C
Lonsdale
Ken
K
Hodge
Elaine
E
Rose
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000523:psychology*; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology*; D002170:Canada; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005221:Fatigue / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012649:Self Concept; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D055815:Young Adult