The relationship between intrinsic motivation and psychological wellbeing in combat sport athletes: the mediating role of mental toughness

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Abstract
Introduction: This study aimed to examine the mediating role of mental toughness (MT) in the relationship between intrinsic motivation (IM) and psychological wellbeing (PWB) in combat sport athletes. Combat sport athletes face unique psychological challenges that can significantly impact their wellbeing, yet the mechanisms through which intrinsic motivation influences psychological wellbeing remain underexplored. Methods: The sample of this correlational survey study consisted of 489 combat sport athletes from university teams in Turkiye. Data were collected using the IM subscale of the “Sport Motivation Scale (SMS)”, the “Mental Toughness Scale (MTS),” and the “Psychological wellbeing Scale (PWB).” Relationships between variables were examined via correlation analysis, and the proposed mediation model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and the bootstrap method (5,000 resamples). Results: The analyses revealed that IM had significant direct effects on both PWB (β = 0.385, p < 0.001) and MT (β = 0.486, p < 0.001). MT was also found to be a significant predictor of PWB (β = 0.324, p < 0.001). Most notably, a significant indirect effect was identified, indicating that IM influences PWB through the enhancement of MT [b = 0.108, SE = 0.019, 95% CI (0.070, 0.145)]. The standardized indirect effect was β = 0.158. Discussion: The research demonstrates that IM supports the PWB of combat sport athletes both directly and indirectly by fostering MT. These findings suggest that programs designed to enhance the PWB of these athletes should target not only their motivational sources but also their resilience-building skills. Future research should employ longitudinal designs to establish causal relationships and examine the effectiveness of psycho-educational interventions targeting IM and MT in enhancing PWB among combat sport athletes.

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