The effects of yoga-psychological skills training on mental health coping in injured young athletes. A Case Study

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Hyunyoung Lee ^*, Eun Seong Kim ^**, Jung Hoon Huh ^*** and Joonyoung Lee ^**

^(*) Department of Physical Education and Health, Jeollanam-do Office of Education, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
^(**) Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Jakson State University, MS. USA
^(***) Department of Sports Science, Chung-Ang University, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Citation

Lee, H., Seong Kim, E., Hoon Huh, J., Lee, J. (2024). The effects of yoga-psychological skills training on mental health coping in injured young athletes. A Case Study. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 55(1), 90-108. doi:10.7352/IJSP.2024.55.090

Abstract

Sports injuries among young athletes are associated with increased mental health risks. This case study explored the effects of a 10-week yoga program combined with psychological skills training (PST) on mental health coping in injured young athletes. Ten male soccer players (Mage = 16.2 ± 0.92) who had sustained sports injuries in the past year participated in the yoga-PST program. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires assessed coping skills tailored to athletes’ mental health (e.g., learned resourcefulness, psychological skills in sports, and post-sport injury stress). The intervention led to significant improvements in mental health coping skills, including problem-focused coping (+14%), goal setting (+19%), hyperarousal reduction (-40%), and re-experience reduction (-35%). Cohen’s d results indicated positive impacts on the sub-domains of coping skills. The study suggests that yoga-PST intervention can enhance mental health coping in injured young athletes, fostering positive coping responses and potentially preventing long-term mental health issues

Keywords: Yoga interventions, psychological skills training, Mental health co- ping strategies, injured young athletes, sports injury stress

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