SynthesisSports medicine - open2026
The Effect of Different Psychological Interventions on Athletes' Competitive Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Sports medicine - open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effects of psychological interventions on competitive anxiety and athletic performance in golfers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Pooled it
- Mapping the use of mental imagery for stress management in athletes: a scoping review.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundCompetitive anxiety is a common psychological challenge among athletes and can negatively affect sports performance. Although several psychological interventions have been shown to reduce competitive anxiety, their relative effectiveness has not been well established. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of different psychological interventions in reducing competitive anxiety in athletes.
methodsWe searched the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to March 2025, with additional screening of Google Scholar and reference lists. Randomized controlled trials published in English were eligible. Risk of bias was evaluated using the revised Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. A Bayesian random-effects network meta-analysis was conducted using the 'multinma' package. Subgroup analyses examined anxiety dimensions and competitive level. Effects were expressed as standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% credible intervals (CrIs).
resultsA total of 46 trials involving 2,049 participants were included. Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) showed the largest overall point estimate for reducing competitive anxiety (SMD = - 1.33; 95% CrI: -2.31 to - 0.43). Across anxiety dimensions, relaxation was associated with the largest point estimate for reductions in cognitive anxiety (SMD = - 1.54, 95% CrI: -3.31 to 0.21), while MAC showed the largest estimated effect on somatic anxiety (SMD = - 1.24, 95% CrI: -1.57 to - 0.90). Intervention effects appeared to vary by competitive level: imagery showed the largest point estimate among elite athletes (SMD = - 0.88, 95% CrI: -1.84 to 0.14), MAC among semi-elite athletes (SMD = - 1.37, 95% CrI: -3.11 to - 0.17), and biofeedback among junior athletes (SMD = - 1.07, 95% CrI: -2.26 to 0). Exploratory study-level mediation analyses suggested that reductions in competitive anxiety were associated with improvements in sports performance.
conclusionsMAC showed the highest estimated effects overall; however, uncertainty remains substantial given the wide credible intervals and limited data for several intervention nodes. Psychological interventions were associated with improved sport performance, and changes in competitive anxiety may be one contributing factor. These findings support the potential value of tailored psychological training approaches for athletes, while underscoring the need for more robust comparative evidence.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.