The Impact of Parental Pressure on 12-17-year-old Competitive Athletes' Psychological Well-Being
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Authors
Pernitsky, Alex
Issue Date
2025-09-23
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
adolescent athletes , parental pressure , mental health , psychological well-being
Alternative Title
Abstract
This capstone investigates the impact of parental pressure (PP) on the psychological well-being of adolescent athletes (ages 12–17) in competitive sports. The investigation is guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and supported by Attachment Theory and Erikson's psychosocial stages of development (Erikson’s model). The purpose of the capstone is to synthesize empirical literature to explore how parental behaviours shape athletes' motivation, autonomy, relatedness, and overall mental health. Through the synthesis, the literature indicated that autonomy-supportive parenting fosters intrinsic motivation, resilience, and confidence, whereas controlling or outcome-focused behaviours that result in perceived PP increase stress, diminish self-esteem/worth, and hinder identity development. Significant gaps were found during the literature review, such as reliance on cross-sectional and self-reported data, underrepresentation of minority and lower socioeconomic populations, no formal treatment modality or regulations, and a lack of longitudinal studies. To address these limitations, the study has recommendations for counselling psychology, including psychoeducation for parents, identity-based interventions for athletes, and policy changes in youth sports organizations. Furthermore, a therapeutic framework, Athlete-Centered Resilience Therapy (ACRT), is proposed that needs to be investigated through conducting studies that integrate cognitive-behavioural, narrative, and family systems approaches with culturally responsive care. This capstone highlights the importance of providing knowledge to clinicians, parents, and coaches to create autonomy-supportive environments that foster athletes' long-term psychological well-being and identity.