A qualitative exploration of how lifetime stressor exposure influences sport performers' health, well-being, and performance

• Published in: Anxiety, stress, and coping Vol. 37; no. 2; pp. 233 - 250
• Main Authors: McLoughlin, Ella, Arnold, Rachel, Moore, Lee J., Slavich, George M., Fletcher, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Routledge 03-03-2024; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Adversity; assessment; Athletes; Coping Skills; Female; Humans; Influence; Life Change Events; life stress; Lifetime; Personal health; qualitative; Qualitative research; Risk-Taking; Sports; Sports - psychology; Stress; Stress, Psychological; timelining; Adversity; assessment; life stress; timelining; qualitative
• ISSN: 1061-5806; 1477-2205; 1477-2205
• DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2023.2246023

Recent research has shown that lifetime stressor exposure can negatively impact sport performers. However, this work has predominantly relied on quantitative methods, which has provided limited information regarding how stressors occurring over the life course affect health, well-being, and performance. This study aimed to explore how relatively high levels of lifetime (non-sport and sport-specific) stressor exposure influenced sport performers' health, well-being, and performance.
To identify participants who had experienced high lifetime (non-sport and sport-specific) stressors, we used criterion-based purposeful sampling from a prior study. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews, complemented by timelining, were conducted with 22 sport performers (17 female; M
age
 = 25.89, SD = 10.20).
We used reflexive thematic analysis to develop three overarching themes that illustrate how high lifetime (non-sport and sport-specific) stressor exposure influences sport performers' health, well-being, and performance. These were: psychological (e.g., maladaptive coping strategies), social (e.g., difficulties in building relationships), and behavioral (e.g., risky behaviors) factors.
These findings can help practitioners identify sport performers at risk of developing stress-related health, well-being, and performance problems, and may aid the development of effective interventions.