| Abstrakt: |
Adolescence is a transitional period characterized by personal, academic, and social pressures. Girls, in particular, are more reactive towards stressful events, leading to an increased prevalence of internalized mental disorders. Therefore, the present study was intended to explore slow-paced breathing as a mental health and well-being promoting tool for young female volleyball players, while considering its feasibility in an organized sports setting. Twenty-two athletes ranging in age from 15 to 17 years (M = 15.86, SD = .83) from the under-16 and under-17 teams in the same volleyball club were assigned to the experimental (EG) and control group (CG). The EG performed an 8-week, 5-min, guided slow-paced breathing protocol, whereas the CG (n =12) followed an extended warm-up routine conducted by a coach while the breathing session was taking place. Pre- and postintervention questionnaires with self-report measures of trait anxiety, perceived stress, positive and negative affect, subjective happiness, life satisfaction and perceived performance were administered, coupled with weekly measurements consisting of a CO2 tolerance test. Results suggested that, except for positive affect, all psychological and well-being markers showed no significant differences when compared to the control group after the intervention, as well as when comparing pre- and post-intervention periods within the EG. Nevertheless, overwhelmingly positive qualitative reports and significant improvements in CO2 tolerance may imply that some effects of the slow-paced breathing intervention took place in relation with the short session duration and/or intervention length. Future studies should further explore simple, accessible interventions such as this one to address the onset of mental disorders and/or daily stress in a sports setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
