Hungary Study: How Coach-Athlete Bonds Build Confidence and Mental Health

Budapest, Hungary, Source:

Mental health stands as a vital pillar of athletic achievement, yet it often remains in the shadows compared to physical training. Athletes navigate intense pressure from performance expectations, injury risks, and career instability, which can increase vulnerability to anxiety and depression. Supportive interpersonal relationships, especially those with coaches, act as crucial protective factors. A recent cross-sectional study among Hungarian athletes examines how the quality of the coach-athlete relationship influences mental well-being through competitive state self-confidence.

Grounded in the Gold Medal Profile for Sport Psychology framework, this research investigates whether perceived coach-athlete relationship quality, comprising closeness, commitment, and complementarity, is indirectly associated with emotional, psychological, and social well-being via competitive state self-confidence. The study involved 211 Hungarian athletes, including both team and individual sport participants, ranging from amateur to professional levels. Data were collected using validated instruments: the Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q), the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) self-confidence subscale, and the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form (MHC-SF).

Results revealed significant positive associations between perceived coach-athlete relationship quality and competitive state self-confidence. Furthermore, higher self-confidence was linked to greater emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Statistical analysis confirmed that competitive state self-confidence acts as a mediator, suggesting that high-quality relational dynamics with coaches foster confidence, which in turn enhances overall mental health. Specifically, indirect effects were observed for emotional well-being (β = 0.11), psychological well-being (β = 0.12), and social well-being (β = 0.08). Notably, psychological well-being showed the strongest correlation with self-confidence, possibly due to its close ties to competence-related functioning.

While the cross-sectional design precludes causal conclusions, the findings underscore the importance of coaching environments that prioritize trust, mutual respect, and open communication. Coaches play a pivotal role in shaping athletes’ interpretations of feedback and performance expectations, thereby influencing their confidence levels. These insights align with Self-Determination Theory, which posits that supportive interpersonal climates satisfy basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, leading to adaptive outcomes.

The study highlights potential targets for coach education, such as providing clear, individualized feedback and creating psychologically safe spaces where athletes feel comfortable seeking support. However, the authors caution that coaches should not replace mental health professionals; rather, confidence-supportive practices should be part of a broader athlete-support system. Future longitudinal and intervention-based studies are needed to establish temporal ordering and causal mechanisms, as well as to explore other mediating factors like resilience and psychological safety.

In conclusion, this research contributes to a process-oriented understanding of athlete mental health, emphasizing that strong coach-athlete relationships are not just beneficial for performance but are fundamental to fostering confidence and promoting holistic well-being. By integrating relationship-building and confidence-supportive strategies into coaching frameworks, sports organizations can create environments that nurture both the mind and body of athletes.