Coping strategies, perception of sport risk and satisfaction with life in men and women practicing extreme sports

Abstract

Background: Few studies concern strategies for coping with stress in people who practice extreme sports. The goal of the current work is to analyse the relationships between strategies for coping with stress used by male and female extreme athletes, perception of threat associated with their sport, and their satisfaction with life. Material and methods:The sample consisted of 144 athletes, 55 females and 89 males, who have practiced extreme sports for at least 2 years. Participants completed the Brief COPE questionnaire, the SWLS questionnaire, and a survey to collect sociodemographic data and information about participants' perceptions of threats associated with their sport discipline. Student's t-test, r-Pearson's correlation and multiple regression analysis were performed.Results: Significant relationships were found between the use of certain strategies for coping with stress and the assessment of risks associated with extreme sports in both men and women. Only in the case of men were relationships observed between the coping strategies used and satisfaction with life. Women were more likely to use emotional and instrumental support and less likely to use humor then men.Conclusions: Strategies for coping with stress are associated with risk assessment and, among men, with sense of satisfaction with life.

Coping strategies for handling stress and providing mental health in elite athletes: a systematic review

“…When others influenced the stress and coping process situations were more likely to be appraised as a challenge and more adaptive problem- and emotion-focused strategie s were used, whereas when a stressor was appraised as a threat a more maladaptive coping strategy or no coping at all was reported ( 23 , 45 ). The results also revealed that there is a significant relationship between coping with stress and perceptions of risk in extreme athletes, practicing extreme sports ( 43 ).…”

“No Risk No Fun?”: Determinants of Satisfaction with Life in People Who Engage in Extreme and High-Risk Sports

“…For the participants of this study, the most important goals were associated with physical fitness, having a fit body, and health, and thus they were no different from those most commonly indicated by individuals who engage in forms of physical activity and sport that are not associated with increased risk [ 31 ]. This may be caused by the fact that individuals who engage in HRS and ES do not assess their sport disciplines as extremely dangerous [ 38 ], and thus their attitude is not significantly different from that of people who practice non-risky disciplines. One can speculate that providing oneself with desired levels of stimulation from risky forms of physical activity may thus be a latent and indirect motive, one that is not expressed in declarative statements about goals typical of any physical activity.…”

The Impact of Extreme Sports on the Individual and Society: A Short Introduction

“…Especially at the beginning, research has focused on arguing for the negative effects depending on several variables, (gender, age, sports, etc) at physical level: high risk-taking levels produce lesions and even death [16,24,26,37], sleep disturbances [28], but also pathological personality disorders (narcissism, anxiety, neuroticism, addictions), corelated with compulsive and deviant behaviours (pathological abuse and addiction to drugs, alcohol, sport) [2], [14,15], [29], [38]. Recent studies have focused on the benefits on physical performance, mental health, and personality traits, on emotion management -courage, humility, fear [7,8], [10], [27], [40], [46], physical, emotional, and mental freedom [9], psychological recovery and emotional well-being [3], [25] even among people suffering from hyperkinetic disorders (ADHD) [42], self-control and stress management, self-knowledge and self-achievement [12], [21], [23], [31,32].…”

“…and political impact refers to: increased interest for organising extreme sports events, introduction of prizes and development of local-host communities for these events -local infrastructure, sports facilities [6], [31] involving an increase in sports tourism, in both practitioners and spectators [19], [22,23], [39]; an increase in the interest for advertising from the part of certain international -but also local and national -brands, thus determining increased consumerism and corporate interest through the emergence of a huge industry [11], [18], [30]; corelation of sports tourism with other activities such asecologic, rural, medical etc, tourism; (re)vitalisation of places / communities; investments in equipment [44]. All these events may be possible if legislative changes areproduced at both national and international level: -adopting laws and regulations to facilitate the management and control of sports events [22], [45], the territorial mobility and the medical insurance for athletes and spectators.…”