Perfectionism and Mental Health In Footballers in the UK and Malta: A cross cultural study
We are conducting a research study exploring perfectionism and mental health in footballers across the UK and Malta. This study aims to understand how perfectionistic tendencies impact well-being in different footballing cultures.
Elite-level athletes, including footballers, often face intense pressure and high expectations, which can contribute to elevated levels of perfectionism. Perfectionism is defined as “a combination of exceedingly high standards and a preoccupation with harsh critical evaluations” (Hewitt & Flett, 1991). In sport, this mindset can significantly affect athletes’ emotional and psychological wellbeing.
Previous research has shown that perfectionism can influence pre-competition emotions (Donachie et al., 2019) and is associated with negative outcomes such as burnout and depressive symptoms (Smith et al., 2018; Hill et al., 2024). A key component of this is perfectionistic cognitions — automatic thoughts about the need to be perfect — which have been linked to heightened anxiety, dejection, and anger in footballers (Hill & Donachie, 2020). However, there is limited research exploring how these cognitions relate to broader mental health outcomes. Furthermore, much of the existing research has been conducted in the UK and similar contexts, with little attention paid to cultural differences or varying levels of mental health literacy. Investigating these issues across geographical contexts, such as the UK and Malta, can provide valuable insights into how perfectionism affects footballers in diverse settings (Muscat et al., 2024).
Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship between perfectionism, perfectionistic cognitions, and mental health outcomes in elite-level footballers across different countries. By doing so, it seeks to enhance understanding and inform culturally sensitive approaches to supporting athlete wellbeing.
If you are 18 years or older and play football at any level, we invite you to take part in a short online survey. Your insights will help us develop a deeper understanding of the psychological experiences of footballers and contribute to research on mental health in sport.
https://nclpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8pGcAtTYVp0BPUy
Your participation is anonymous, and the survey should take no more than 10-15 minutes to complete. Thank you for helping us advance sport psychology research!
Closing date: 1 June 2025
