FEAR AND ANXIETY IN ELITE SPORT

The experience of anxiety around a competition may be one of the most prominent reasons for elite athletes to seek psychological consulting. However, competitions are merely one source of anxiety in elite sport. Others are, for example, fear of injury or social physique anxiety. Anxiety strongly affects athletes’ mental health and well-being. This chapter will address sources of anxiety in elite sport, explain the emergence of anxiety, discuss the state- or trait-like nature of anxiety and show how it relates to performance, well-being, and the development of mental health issues. Current theoretical understandings and models are presented, which serve as the basis for assessment for research and applied purposes. Personal (like personality traits or age) and situational (like coaching style or public scrutiny) risk factors and potential mechanisms for experiencing high levels of anxiety will be discussed. Furthermore, it will be shown how these factors can interfere with athletes’ well-being and increase their vulnerability to depression, anxiety, and stress. The diverse areas of anxiety make simple, practical implications difficult but different prevention and intervention strategies as well as directions for future research and practice will be presented.