Examining The Mental Well-Being and Perceived Level Of Support in Sports Among University Students Who Play E-Sports

Öz

This study aims to thoroughly examine the effects of e-sports on the mental health of university students. Specifically, the research will focus on the impacts of popular e-sports games such as League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike, PubG, and Valorant. These games rank among the top ten e-sports globally in 2024, with four of them occupying positions within the top five. The literature highlights a strong relationship between perceived social support and mental health. Accordingly, the primary focus of this study is to determine the effects of e-sports games on perceived social support and investigate the implications of this influence on mental health. Furthermore, the study will evaluate the relationship between engagement in e-sports, concepts of social support, and mental well-being. Three main scales will be employed in the research: the Perceived Available Support in Sport Scale, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (Short Form), and the Sport-Specific Perceived Available Support Scale. These scales aim to comprehensively measure students' experiences with e-sports and the impacts of these experiences on their mental health. The collected data will be analyzed using the SPSS program, employing descriptive and correlation analyses. This analytical process is expected to make a significant contribution to understanding the potential effects of e-sports participation, whether amateur or recreational, on university students' mental well-being and perceptions of social support. The study sheds light on the influence of perceived support within e-sports environments on the mental well-being of e-sports participants. The findings demonstrate that perceived social support plays a critical role in enhancing emotional resilience, improving stress management skills, and fostering overall mental health among e-sports players.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• E-sports
• Mental well-being
• Perceived support
• Perceived Support in Sports

E-Spor Oyunları Oynayan Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Mental İyi Oluş ve Sporda Algılanan Destek Düzeylerinin İncelenmesi

Öz

: Bu araştırma, üniversite öğrencilerinin mental sağlık durumları üzerindeki e-spor etkilerini derinlemesine incelemeyi amaçlamıştır. Özellikle, e-sporun popüler oyunları arasında yer alan League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike, PubG ve Valorant gibi oyunların etkileri üzerine odaklanılmıştır. Oyunlar 2024 yılında dünya genelinde en popüler e-spor oyunları arasında ilk on sıradadır; özellikle dört tanesi ilk beş oyun arasında yer almaktadır. Literatürde, algılanan sosyal destek ile mental sağlık arasında güçlü bir ilişki olduğu vurgulanmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın odak noktası, e-spor oyunlarının algılanan sosyal destek üzerindeki etkilerini belirlemek ve bu etkinin mental sağlık üzerindeki sonuçlarını araştırmaktır. Ayrıca, e-spor ile etkileşimin sosyal destek kavramları ve mental sağlıkla ilişkisini değerlendirilmiştir Araştırmada üç ana ölçek kullanılmıştır: Algılanan Elde Edilebilir Destek Ölçeği, Warwick-Edinburgh Mental İyi Oluş Ölçeği Kısa Formu ve Sporda Algılanan Erişilebilir Destek Ölçeği. Bu ölçekler, öğrencilerin e-spor oynama deneyimlerini ve bu deneyimlerin mental sağlıkları üzerindeki etkilerini kapsamlı bir şekilde ölçmeyi hedeflemektedir. Elde edilecek verilerin analizi SPSS programı aracılığıyla gerçekleştirilecek olup, veriler betimsel ve korelasyon analizleri ile değerlendirilecektir. Bu sürecin, amatör veya rekreatif olarak, e-spor oyunları oynayan üniversite öğrencilerinin mental iyi olma ve algılanan destek algıları üzerindeki potansiyel etkilerini anlamada önemli bir katkı sağladığı düşünülmektedir. Bu çalışma, e-spor ortamlarında algılanan desteğin, e-sporcuların mental iyi oluşları üzerindeki etkisini ortaya koymuştur. Elde edilen bulgular, algılanan sosyal desteğin, e-sporcuların duygusal dayanıklılığını artırmada, stresle başa çıkma becerilerini geliştirmede ve genel mental sağlıklarını iyileştirmede kritik bir rol oynadığını göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• E-spor
• Mental iyi oluş
• Algılanan destek
• Sporda algılanan destek

Kaynakça

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