Comparison of schema therapy, applied relaxation and mental imagery effectiveness to reduce cognitive state anxiety of elite athletes

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of schema therapy, applied relaxation and imagery in order to reduce the competitive state anxiety of elite athletes. The sample consisted of 72 men and women national athletes of team and individual sports which were selected by convenience sampling and divided in four groups randomly. Interventions were held for 9 weeks. Participants completed the CSA-2 scale in pre-test and post-test. The results of MANCOVA showed that all three methods (Schema therapy, applied relaxation and imagery) were effective in order to reduce the competitive state anxiety of athletes. Also, schema therapy was the most effective method to reduce cognitive anxiety compared to the other methods.