An initial investigation into the mental health difficulties in athletes who experience choking under pressure

Highlights

• Choking under pressure frequency has yet to be formally researched and identified.
• Effect of choking under pressure on athlete mental health has not been examined.
• Choking prevalence in sport may be higher than researchers expect.
• High-performance athletes may engage in maladaptive behaviours due to choking.
• More psychological support should be provided for athletes who experience choking.

Abstract

This study aims to determine the frequency of choking under pressure (i.e., choking) and quantify the prevalence of psychological and behavioural consequences of choking. 165 current and retired athletes (over 18 years old) from various sporting levels completed an online survey that asked about demographics, the frequency of choking, and the psychological (e.g., negative feelings toward sport, passion/enjoyment of sport negatively affected, and suicidal ideation) and behavioural (e.g., missing/skipping sport temporarily, dropping out/quitting sport, and maladaptive, risky behaviour) effects of choking. Descriptive statistics on choking frequency indicated 127 (77%) athletes in this sample experienced choking in the last year of playing their sport, and, on average, “choked” 18.25 times during that year. Of the 65 athletes currently playing sport, 36 (55.4%) experienced choking in the past month. Furthermore, 39.4% and 7.1% of athletes in this sample did not achieve higher levels of competition and had suicidal thoughts due to choking, respectively. High-performance athletes in the current sample were more likely to engage in maladaptive behaviours after choking compared to low-performance athletes. Choking more negatively affected the passion/enjoyment for sport of currently playing (i.e., excluding all retired) high-performance than currently playing low-performance athletes. This seminal study crudely quantifies the frequency of choking in athletes, but more importantly provides crucial evidence of the psychological and behavioural consequences of choking and advocates for further research into choking and athlete mental health.