Explanation Athelete’s Psychological Health Dimensions Based on Cognitive Emotion Regulation Styles

The present study is carried out with the purpose of determining the predictability of psychological health, by cognitive emotion regulation style, used by elite athletes. A sample of 385 (285 male and 100 female) elite athletes were chosen using cluster random sampling. Participants completed Mental Health Inventory (MHI) and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire short version. Analysis of the data involved Pierson’s correlation and multivariate regression analyses. Results indicated significant relationship between cognitive emotion regulation styles and psychological health components. Results of regression analysis indicated that among styles of cognitive emotion regulation, Positive refocusing and positive reappraisal can positively predict the psychological well-being. Moreover, psychological distress can predicted positively by catastrophizing and also Positive refocusing can negatively predict psychological distress. As results indicates, the strategies employed by athletes in order to regulate their emotions can play a significant role in the determination of their psychological health. Strengthening the adaptive cognitive emotion regulation should be regarded as therapeutic and educational goal in enhancing the mental health in that athletes could use strategies that influence their appraisal of the situation to create the most appropriate emotional climate for competition.