Mental Training Levels in Disabled Elite Athletes

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the mental training levels of elite athletes with disabilities and to identify the key mental skills that contribute to performance improvement. The research group consisted of 208 national athletes, including 106 goalball, 74 wheelchair basketball, and 28 football players. Data were collected using a “Personal Information Form” and the Sport Mental Training Inventory developed by Behnke et al. (2017) and adapted into Turkish by Yarayan and İlhan (2018). The findings revealed significant differences in mental training skills according to demographic variables such as gender, age, sport branch, and education level. These results indicate that mental training is influenced by both personal and environmental factors. The study emphasizes the importance of developing individualized and disability-inclusive mental training programs to strengthen the psychological resilience and performance of disabled athletes.

Keywords

• Athletes with disabilities
• Elite athlete
• Mental training
• Psychological skills

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