Stress and Athletic Performance Across Professional and Recreational (Para)Climbers- 1TM

The present study, initiated by professional climber Jenya Kazbekova from the World Climbing/International Federation of Sports Climbing (IFSC) Athletes' Commission, focuses on estimating the prevalence of burnout and other aspects related to mental health among professional and recreational climbers and paraclimbers. This investigation will also explore some potential causes and mechanisms via which climbers are at risk for burnout or other mental health issues. To correctly identify the underlying mechanisms of stress and burnout, we will need to collect data on 3-4 separate occasions. The results of the present investigation will serve as a valid basis to develop mental health interventions specifically for climbing and para-climbing. 

This independent study is conducted by a team of researchers and psychologists specializing in sport psychology. The study was designed and is supervised by Dr. Maria-Ștefania Ionel (Clinical Psychologist) and Zsófia Németi-Fehér (Psychologist and PhD Student, Department of Psychology, University of Bucharest) under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Andrei Ion (Department of Psychology, University of Bucharest). Data collection was initially conducted in collaboration with the World Climbing Research and Development Director, Dr. Silvia Verdolini, based on a Memorandum of Understanding, signed on May 2, 2024, attached here. The study aims to reach a broad community of professional and recreational indoor/outdoor climbers, including paraclimbers, as well as athletes registered with the World Climbing and those competing exclusively at the national level within their respective federations. The study has received approval from the Ethical Board of the University of Bucharest. 

Participation involves completing a series of measures related to burnout, mental health, and various coping resources. Different measures will be collected on 3 to 4 different occasions across a timespan of approximately 3 to 4 weeks. We will also collect data regarding your climbing practice and performance. 

 a) Participants: 

We are interested in recruiting male and female professional and recreational indoor/outdoor climbers and paraclimbers of at least 18 years of age who climb at a recreational level or actively compete at local, national, or international levels, and/or who are registered members of the World Climbing or members of National Federations, Sports Clubs, or have a RedBull sponsorship. 

Once you enroll in the study, you will be expected to complete: 

- an initial survey (duration: around 25 mins.). This survey will collect demographic data, information about sport-specific practice and performance (training, competition participation, achievements), general mental health, and various other psychological factors (e.g., personality, perfectionism, or self-efficacy). 

- between 3 and 4 weekly surveys (duration: between 10 and 15 mins.). The weekly surveys will focus on the athletes' psychological functioning (e.g.,  emotion regulation, stress mindset, positive and negative affect, burnout, and coping strategies). The participants will receive online reminders sent by the end of each week. More specifically, each participant will be expected to complete the weekly surveys once per week. 

Participation in this study is entirely anonymous and voluntary. Withdrawal from this study is entirely up to you. You can withdraw from the study at any time, without any consequences. There is also the possibility that the research team may decide to exclude you from the study after repeated failures to follow the instructions, or if the study is postponed and/or canceled.

Participation in this research is fully confidential and does not involve exposure to procedures and tasks that pose any physical or psychological threat. We have taken all necessary measures and procedures related to protecting the information that you provide, including your identity, and the study is in full compliance with the international ethical norms and standards applicable to research in psychology. Your name is necessary for the research to match the initial survey to the following surveys. At the end of the data collection phase, each participant will be assigned a unique code, and his/her personal data will be erased from the dataset. Your data will be used for research purposes only, and no one outside the team will have access to this data. 

We have no reason to believe that the procedures used could have any negative consequences for the participants. Therefore, filling out questionnaires does not imply any direct risk for you, although some topics that are brought up (e.g.burnout, negative affect) might make you feel distressed or experience negative emotions. 

Potential benefits: 

Participating in this research will contribute to understanding the mental health aspects associated with practicing sport climbing at a professional level. Your answers will help devise interventions and propose policies prioritizing the psychological health and development of sport climbers. This research will enable the IFSC and the entire community to learn how burnout prevalence in sport climbing compares to the one other elite sports. Each participant can also receive a request for an individual psychological report based on their survey responses.