The Effect of Childhood Adverse Experiences on Change in Outlook and Hardiness of Athletes

Introduction: In professional sports, increasing desires to win and achieve high-level goals are common causes for competitive stress. However, some players seem to manage stressful situations better than others. The purpose in this study is to determine the effect of childhood adverse experiences on change in outlook and hardiness of athletes.Materials and Methods: The participants in this study included ۲۰۱ (۹۹ girls, ۱۱۲ boys) athletes aged ۱۸-۲۲ years old from different sports in Isfahan, Iran, who participated in national competitions. To collect the data, the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire, the Changes in Outlook Questionnaire (CiOQ), and short hardiness scale were used. The direct and indirect effects of the variables were examined to investigate the mediating role.Results: The results showed that adverse childhood experiences affect positive (P = ۰.۰۴۸) and negative (P = ۰.۰۰۱) outlook on life and positive (P = ۰.۰۲۱) and negative (P = ۰.۰۰۳) outlook affect hardiness. Adverse childhood experiences did not have a direct effect on hardiness (P < ۰.۰۵), but through mediation, the effect was significant (P = ۰.۰۲).Conclusion: Adverse childhood experiences affect the athletes' outlook, with positive and negative outlook increasing and decreasing hardiness, respectively.