Associations of Perceived Stress and Team Support with Mental Toughness and Resilience among Esports Players
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15294/jssf.v12i1.58921Keywords:
perceived stress, team support, mental toughness, resilience, esportsAbstract
Background: Esports has developed into a highly competitive activity, so that psychological pressure is experienced by players who are influenced by Perceived Stress due to a toxic online environment, but can be reduced through team support. Objectives: This study analyzed the influence of Perceived Stress and team support on the mental toughness and resilience of esports players. Method: This correlational quantitative study involved 167 active esports players aged 17–25 years who were convenience-sampled. Data were collected via validated online questionnaires assessing Perceived Stress, team support, mental toughness, and resilience, and were then analyzed using multiple linear regression. Result: Perceived stress and team support together accounted for 73.7% of the variance in mental toughness (R² = .737, F(2,164) = 229.70, p < .001). Perceived stress showed a significant association with mental toughness (β = 0.494, p < .001), as did team support (β = 0.446, p < .001). For resilience, the two predictors jointly accounted for 74.6% of the variance (R² = .746, F(2,164) = 240.28, p < .001). However, once team support was included in the model, perceived stress was not significantly associated with resilience (β = 0.046, p = .384), whereas team support demonstrated a strong, significant association (β = 0.832, p < .001). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the psychological resilience of esports players is influenced not only by individual character but also by social dynamics within a competitive environment. Therefore, mental toughness and resilience need to be strengthened through psychological support and team-based interventions to cope with competitive pressure.
Downloads
References
Chiu, Y.H. et al. (2016) “Psychometric properties of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS): Measurement invariance between athletes and non-athletes and construct validity,” PeerJ, 2016(12). https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2790.
Hallmann, K. and Giel, T. (2018) “eSports – Competitive sports or recreational activity?”, Sport Management Review, 21(1), hal. 14–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2017.07.011.
Imanian, M. et al. (2025) “Verify the effects of esports on cognitive skill: focusing on decision making,” BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-025-01236-w.
Luo, J. et al. (2025) “The relationship between social support and mental health in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” Frontiers in Psychology, 16(September), hal. 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1642886.
May Rauli Simamora (2024) “Validity of the Indonesian Version of the 10-Item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) among First-Year Theological Students,” Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 38(4), hal. 1238–1258. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407520983467.11.
Ouwens, M. et al. (2008) “The team climate inventory: Application in hospital teams and methodological considerations,” Quality and Safety in Health Care, 17(4), hal. 275–280. https://doi.org/10.1136/qshc.2006.021543.
Pedraza-Ramirez, I. et al. (2025) “The psychology of esports: Trends, challenges, and future directions,” Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 81(August), hal. 102967. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102967.
Poulus, D. et al. (2020) “Stress and Coping in Esports and the Influence of Mental Toughness,” Frontiers in Psychology, 11(April), hal. 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00628.
Sehrawat, V., Kumari, B., dan Nara, K. (2024) “Psychological Resilience and Sports Performance : A Correlational Study,” Maharshi Dayanand University Research Journal (ARTS), 23(1 & 2), hal. 95–103.
Tang, D. et al. (2023) “What is esports? A systematic scoping review and concept analysis of esports,” Heliyon, 9(12), hal. e23248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23248.
Trotter, M.G. et al. (2021) “Social Support, Self-Regulation, and Psychological Skill Use in E-Athletes,” Frontiers in Psychology, 12(November). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.722030.
Vanteemar S. Sreeraj, S. et al. (2019) “Indian nursing students’ attitudes toward mental illness and persons with mental illness,” Industrial Psychiatry Journal, hal. 195–201. https://doi.org/10.4103/ipj.ipj.
Weyant, E. (2022) “Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 5th Edition,” Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries, 19(1–2), hal. 54–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/15424065.2022.2046231.
Young, M.G., Poulus, D.R., and Adie, J.M. (2026) “Esports, mental toughness, & resilience: Psychological predictors of performance may fall short,” Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 82(August 2025), hal. 103016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.103016.
Yudiarso, A. et al. (2025) “Psychometric properties of the 18-item Indonesian Mental Toughness Questionnaire using the Rasch model and Machine Learning,” Psikohumaniora, 10(1), hal. 1–20. https://doi.org/10.21580/pjpp.v10i1.23214.
