A subculture of mental toughness in an Australian Football League club

The Sociology of Sports Work, Emotions and Mental Health: Scoping the Field and Future Directions

“…The psychological notion of mental toughness in the context of individualized performance (although rarely acknowledged as situated in the workplace) has been vastly over-examined in contrast to basic material human needs such as confidence in employment status, wellbeing, and the right to be treated in non-discriminatory and dignified ways. This psychological phenomenon has also been routinely divorced from the relational, cultural contexts in which it is grounded (one exception to this is Coulter et al, 2016).…”

Cultural sport psychology: a critical review of empirical advances

“…Scholars within CSP emphasize a constitutive rather than a causal role of cultural and social historicity in people's lives and identities, advocate for opening the privileged intellectual space for marginalised topics and ethics of difference, and facilitate a cultural praxis work of addressing pressing local issues by engaging contemporary theories and research in culturally reflexive ways [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Recently, CSP scholarship branched out to the empirical arena to expand understandings of the specific ways in which cultural discourses and practices are enmeshed with personal meanings and experiences, resulting in affording, shaping and/or limiting athletic talent, psychological skills and career development [7][8][9][10], performance and wellbeing [11][12][13][14], subjectification, identity negotiations, and coach-athlete and peer relationships [15][16][17][18], as well as physical activity and lifestyle sport participation [19,20].…”

Are mental toughness and mental health contradictory concepts in elite sport? A narrative review of theory and evidence

“…At first glance, the proposed contradiction between 32 mental health and mental toughness has intuitive appeal; however, a short yet thought- 33 provoking editorial of this nature precludes the opportunity to develop arguments fully, such 34 that the central concepts remained undefined and many of the key assertions were 35 unsubstantiated. This point is particularly pertinent as the readership of sport science and 36 medicine journals may be unfamiliar with the intricacies and details of the literatures on 37 mental health and mental toughness, and therefore there is a danger of misinterpretation or 38 uncritical acceptance of the essential proposition. As theory and evidence are essential to 39 scientific progress and informed professional practice, the purpose of this narrative review is 40 to evaluate substantive and empirical perspectives that can shed light on the target question; 41 that is, are mental health and mental toughness contradictory concepts in elite sport?…”