The aim of this study was to analyze athletes’ quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved 249 athletes between 15 and 35 of age, M = 21.22, SD = 5.12. The sample was composed of eight Olympic Games medalists, three European medalists, 67 international medalists, and 63 national medalists. The instruments used were: (1) COVID-19 Anxiety Scale, (2) Athlete Quality of Life Scale, (3) Impact of Pandemic on Athletes Questionnaire, and (4) International Personality Item Pool (IPIP Anxiety, Depression, and Vulnerability Scales). The results indicate significant differences in COVID-19 anxiety depending on the sport practiced, F (9239) = 3.81, p < 0.01, showing that there were significant differences between sports. The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic mediates the relationship between trait anxiety and the athletes’ quality of life. The percentage of mediation was 33.9%, and the indirect effect was −0.11, CI 95% (−0.18, −0.03), Z = −2.82, p < 0.01. Trait anxiety has an increasing effect on the intensity of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, 0.23, CI 95% (.10, 0.35), Z = 3.56, p < 0.01, and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has a decreasing effect on quality of life, −0.47, CI 95% (−0.67, −0.27), Z = −4.62, p < 0.01. Gender and age did not moderate the relationship between the negative impact of COVID-19 and athletes’ quality of life. The results of the study highlighted the impact that social isolation and quarantine have on athletes’ affective well-being.

Introduction. Achieving performance in sport depends on many factors other than physical, technical, or tactical training. Frequently, a strong mindset and stress resistance can make a difference between equal opponents. Objective.This study aimed to identify the links between sports performance and athletes' coping strategies. Materials and Methods. A total of 36 athletes (17 females and 19 males, aged 25 ±4 years) were recruited and completed The Athletic Coping Skills Inventory – 28(ACSI). The athletes from the target group were volleyball and handball players. As a level of performance, 11 athletes won the last national championship, 8 athletes were in the top 6 ranked teams, and 17 athletes finished the competition in 7–12th place in the national championship. Program IBM SPSS, v.24 was used to analyses the data. In this study, the reliability coefficient Cronbach Alpha was α = .84. Results. The results of data analysis showed that the most strongly represented coping strategies werefreedom from worry and coachability, and the least represented coping strategies were peaking under pressure and coping with adversity. In our study, males were more able to set goals and ways to accomplish their tasks than females and werealso more mentally prepared for situations that could cause problems or difficulties. Unlike women, men have a higher level of confidence in their abilities and a higher level of motivation to deal with stressful situations. Significant differences for males and females were found regarding the goal setting, mental preparation, confidence, and achieving motivation (p=.014). Conclusions. The obtained results can serve as the basis for the development of psycho-education programs for athletes and coaches toincrease their awareness of the importance of psychological training. KeyWords: sport, stress, education, athletes

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among satisfaction of basic psychological needs, goal orientations and sportsmanship. The mediating role of goal orientation in this relationship was tested. The participants were 168 students enrolled at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports in Craiova, aged between 18 and 30 years old, M = 21.52, SD = 2.20, and the data were collected between March and May 2020. The instruments applied were Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale to measure satisfaction of basic psychological needs, Multidimensional Sportspersonship Orientation Scale to measure sportsmanship, and Ego and Task Orientation Questionnaire to measure goal orientation. The obtained results showed that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs is associated with sportsmanship. Mediation analyses have shown that task orientation mediates the relationship between the need for autonomy and the need for competence satisfaction and four of the dimensions of sportsmanship and the relationship between the need for relatedness satisfaction and three of sportsmanship dimensions: respect for social conventions, respect for rules and officials, and respect for full commitment.

This study explores the relationships among emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, and the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) in shaping job satisfaction and work involvement among teachers. The research is grounded in the context of a social-emotional skills development program implemented by UNICEF under the SEE-Norway Grants 2014–2021 framework. A total of 97 teachers participated in this cross-sectional study, completing validated instruments to measure the constructs of interest. Results indicate that emotional intelligence directly predicts job satisfaction, while self-efficacy is significantly associated with work involvement. Autonomy satisfaction mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and job satisfaction, whereas relatedness satisfaction is associated with both outcomes. However, competence satisfaction showed no significant mediation effects. The findings underscore the critical role of emotional intelligence and self-efficacy in enhancing teachers’ professional well-being and engagement, suggesting the need for targeted training programs to develop these competencies. These insights contribute to fostering more positive educational environments by promoting teacher retention, satisfaction, and involvement.

The present study analyzed the relationships among material difficulties, job insecurity, work meaning and the mental health of sports coaches. Participants for this study were 200 coaches (120 men and 80 women, aged between 18 and 60 years, M = 41.04, SD = 8.71). The instruments used were (a) The Difficulties List, (b) Qualitative Job Insecurity, (c) Quantitative Job Insecurity, (d) The Work and Meaning Inventory, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales. Statistical analysis was performed through SPSS 24. The results obtained by three multiple mediations showed that material difficulties were not directly associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Although qualitative job insecurity mediates the relationship between material difficulties and mental health (β = 0.14, p < 0.01 for depression, β = 0.17, p < 0.01 for anxiety, and β = 0.14, p < 0.01 for stress) quantitative job insecurity and work meaning do not mediate this relationship but had significant direct effects. The conclusions of the study led to the need for material and psychological support for coaches to have a meaningful activity, so that they could achieve significant performance with their athletes.

The present study has two main objectives. First, to analyze the differences between adolescents with visual impairments and those without visual impairments in terms of peer attachment, loneliness, self-esteem, and well-being. Secondly, to investigate the relationships between these variables among adolescents, starting from the premise that peer attachment is negatively associated with loneliness, which in turn is negatively associated with well-being. At the same time, self-esteem moderates the relationship between peer attachment and well-being. A number of 80 adolescents participated in the study, of which 40 with visual impairments and 40 without visual impairments, aged between 17 and 18 years, M = 17.58, SD = .50. The instruments used were Index of Parents and Peers Attachment, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. The results showed that, unlike adolescents without visual impairments, those with visual impairments report lower levels of peer attachment, self-esteem and well-being, and higher levels of loneliness. Loneliness also mediates the relationship between peer trust/peer alienation and well-being, and self-esteem moderates the relationship between peer communication and well-being. Possible ways of increasing self-esteem and well-being among adolescents with visual impairments, as well as reducing feeling of loneliness, are discussed. At the same time, intervention models are proposed to improve the well-being of adolescents by implementing psychoeducational programs to increase the level of socialization, alleviate loneliness and increase self-esteem.