Is Mindfulness the Common Ground Between Mental Toughness and Self-Compassion in Student Athletes? A Cross-Sectional Study

Zacharias Papadakis; Shana M Walsh; Grant B Morgan; Paul J Deal; Andreas Stamatis

doi:10.3390/ejihpe15060095

Is Mindfulness the Common Ground Between Mental Toughness and Self-Compassion in Student Athletes? A Cross-Sectional Study

Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ. 2025 May 31;15(6):95. doi: 10.3390/ejihpe15060095.

Authors

Zacharias Papadakis¹, Shana M Walsh², Grant B Morgan³, Paul J Deal⁴, Andreas Stamatis^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Health Promotion and Clinical Practice, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL 33161, USA.
² School of Education, Peru State College, Peru, NE 68421, USA.
³ Department of Educational Psychology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA.
⁴ Department of Counselor Education, State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY 12901, USA.
⁵ Department of Health & Sport Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
⁶ Sports Medicine Institute, University of Louisville Health, Louisville, KY 40208, USA.

Abstract

This study interrogates whether mental toughness (MT) and self-compassion (SC)-historically framed as oppositional constructs-can coexist synergistically among NCAA Division II, III, and NAIA collegiate athletes, with mindfulness as a hypothesized mediator. A cross-sectional survey of 396 participants (mean age: 19.8 yrs ± 1.9 SD; females: 51%), revealed a robust MT-SC correlation (r = 0.46), which attenuated to 0.31 when mindfulness was modeled, signaling its role as a partial mediator. Hierarchical regression controlling for sex showed that MT and sex together explained 22% of the SC variance (ΔR² = 0.22, p < 0.001). Adding mindfulness increased the total explained variance to 39% (ΔR² = 0.17, p < 0.001). Females scored slightly lower on SC (β = -0.14, SE = 0.05, p = 0.008). Sobel testing confirmed significant partial mediation (Z = 7.22, p < 0.001), with mindfulness explaining 33% of MT's total effect on SC. Mindfulness-based interventions that exploit athletes' intrinsic attentional resources can simultaneously enhance mental toughness and self-compassion. By reconciling performance-oriented rigor with resilient self-regard, such strategies hold promise for athletes operating at diverse competitive levels.

Keywords: NAIA; NCAA; collegiate athletics; mental toughness; mindfulness; positive psychology; self-compassion; sport psychology.