Characteristics of elite athletes’ initial complaints and psychological tasks when seeking individual psychological support at the Department of Sports Science in the Japan Institute of Sport Sciences

• Yonemaru Kenta

  Japan Institute of Sports Sciences

• Suzuki Masashi

  Gifu University

• Suzuki Atsushi

  Japan Institute of Sports Sciences

• Akiba Shigeki

  Kokushikan University

• Okuno Mayu

  Japan Institute of Sports Sciences

• Tachiya Yasuhisa

  Japan Institute of Sports Sciences

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• 国立スポーツ科学センタースポーツ科学部の個別心理サポートに来談する トップアスリートの主訴と心理的課題の特徴

Abstract

We examined data on 32 elite athletes who sought individual psychological support at the Department of Sports Science in the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, with the aim of clarifying the characteristics of their initial complaints and psychological tasks. First, initial complaints were divided into six groups (“psychological instability during competition”, “confusion in interpersonal relationships”, “psychological advice/coaching”, “performance enhancement”, “others”, “no problem”) using the KJ method. Second, chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used to investigate the characteristics of the athletes’ initial complaints and the routes to individual psychological support. The results showed that a relatively large number of athletes complained of “psychological instability during competition” and “confusion in interpersonal relationships”, and that many athletes who said that there was “no problem” sought individual psychological support on the recommendation of their coaches and training staff. Finally, case studies were conducted to ascertain the characteristics of athletes’ psychological tasks. This revealed that the need to raise a low level of independence was a common psychological task underlying the athletes’ initial complaints. On the basis of these findings, we discuss what approach and environment for psychological support were needed for these elite athletes.

Journal

• Sports Science in Elite Athlete Support

  Sports Science in Elite Athlete Support 1 (0), 1-13, 2016

  Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Japan Sport Council

Keywords

• elite athlete
• individual psychological support
• independence
• initial complaint
• psychological task

Details

• CRID: 1390001288123322240
• NII Article ID: 130007594031
• DOI: 10.32155/jiss.1.0_1
• ISSN: 24322105
• ISSN: 24322091
• Text Lang: ja
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Allowed