The impact of mindfulness intervention on emotion regulation in athletes: a meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Athletes frequently encounter considerable emotional challenges during high-intensity training and competition. Effective emotion regulation is essential not only for athletic performance but also for long-term mental health and career longevity. Although mindfulness interventions have been increasingly applied in sport psychology, their effects on athletes' emotion regulation have not been comprehensively evaluated. This meta-analysis therefore examined the effects of mindfulness interventions on emotion regulation among athletes. METHODS: Seven eligible studies involving 273 participants were synthesized to evaluate the effects of mindfulness interventions on athletes' emotion regulation. RESULTS: Mindfulness interventions produced a statistically significant, moderate effect on athletes' emotion regulation (Hedges' g = 0.81, 95% CI [0.51, 1.11], p < 0.0001). Egger's regression test was not statistically significant (p > 0.05); however, this finding provides limited reassurance because the test has low statistical power when fewer than 10 studies are included. DISCUSSION: The overall estimate was based on only seven studies, and the direct comparison between Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment training and Psychological Skills Training was based on only three studies. The findings should therefore be considered preliminary and require confirmation in larger, higher-quality randomized controlled trials. Future research should examine diverse athlete populations and intervention conditions to clarify how mindfulness-based and traditional psychological training approaches contribute to athletes' emotion regulation and psychological functioning. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO. Registration number: CRD420261340782. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42026134078.