The relationship between athletic identity, elite athlete self-esteem, coping, and pathology in elite athletes

Threats to (or "loss" of) one's athletic identity, such as injury or discrepancy between one's actual and expected performance has been shown to affect both an athlete's self-esteem and their overall self-concept. This study tests whether the self-identity notion posited by Brewer (1991) extends beyond athletic injury to other forms of loss.;The present study was designed to test the hypothesized model (see Figure 1) in which an over-identification with the elite athlete role puts one at risk to experience a discrepancy between actual and ideal performance (low athletic self-esteem). In an attempt to ameliorate the distress associated with low athletic self-esteem (an identity threat), athletes will either cope adaptively or maladaptively. Cognitive hardiness, in both the general sense and the athletic sense, is an adaptive way an athlete may cope. If the athlete is successful, the threat is diminished and their athletic self-esteem is restored. We hypothesize that deficits in adaptive coping in elite athletes is directly related to maladaptive coping behaviors (performance-enhancing drug use, deleterious training, disordered eating), as well as depressed mood.;Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) (PROC CALIS) was used to examine the relationships between variables, both latent and observed. The hypothesized model was improved upon by allowing the path between athletic identity and deleterious training to be free. The increment in fit was highly significant (chi2 = 20.94, df = 1, p < .0001), and the results suggest that, contrary to our hypothesis, coping does not completely mediate the relationship between athletic identity and the other variables.;Risk factors for drug use included being young, male, and a cyclist. Risk factors for eating pathology included being female and being a cyclist. Having high Athletic Identity and concurrent low Elite Self-Esteem posed particular risk to athletes on all measures of pathology.;Buffers against pathology included having high Elite Athlete Self-Esteem, being an older athlete, being satisfied with one's current athletic performance, possessing a strong "Iceberg" psychological profile on the POMS, starting sport training at a later age, having high cognitive hardiness, and having strong athletic coping skills.