RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DOPING ATTITUDES, PASSION AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS IN YOUNG ATHLETES IN INDIVIDUAL SPORTS

Abstract

To analyze the relationship between Doping Attitudes, Passion and Mental Toughness in athletes of individual sports. METHODS: A total of 251 athletes of individual sports participated, with a mean age of 18.3±2.9 years; participants of different competitive levels (international, national and state). The following instruments were used: Performance Improvement Attitude Scale, Passion Scale and Mental Toughness Scale. Data analysis was conducted using the Shapiro-Wilk, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman Correlation Coefficient and Network Analysis (LASSO) tests. RESULTS: A significant difference was found in the time of experience and training hours (p<0.01) between men and women, and in the training hours as a function of remuneration (p<0.01). Significant positive correlations (p<0.01) were found between competitive levels and experience time (r=0.53) and training hours (r=0.54), obsessive passion correlated positively (p<0.01) with harmonious passion (r=0.30) and mental toughness (r=0.30); while doping attitudes showed a significant inverse correlation (p<0.05) with harmonious passion (r=-0.16) and mental toughness (r=-0.14). Network analysis revealed significant correlations between doping attitudes and remuneration status (r=0.07), harmonious passion (r=-0.07), mental toughness (r=-0.05) and competitive level (r=-0.01). CONCLUSION: Higher levels of harmonious passion and mental toughness may be related to less favorable attitudes toward doping, or less permissive toward its use in sports; on the other hand, receiving a salary or financial aid for practicing sports had a positive relationship with doping attitudes, possibly because some athletes feel more pressured to perform well in order to preserve their source of income.