Perceived Stress as a Predictor of Well-being in Football Players: A Simple Linear Regression Analysis

Sports psychology is growing in terms of its influence on athlete performance and well-being. Despite this, the relationship between perceived stress and well-being among football players remains under explored, particularly in India. This study aims to assess this association, addressing the dearth of research on the psychological aspects of football athletes. A regression analysis involving 143 football players from Delhi University was conducted. The sample comprised 120 males (83.91%) and 23 females (16.08%), aged between 17 to 23 years (mean = 19.3, SD = 1.03). Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) by Cohen et al. (1983) and the Personal Well being Scale (PWS) by Benson et al. (2019) to measure perceived stress and subjective well-being, respectively. The results of regression suggested that perceived stress explained 19.3% of the variance, R2= 0.193, F (1, 141) = 33.7, p< 0.001. This underscores the adverse impact of stress on athletes' overall well-being. The findings emphasize the necessity of interventions to address stress management and enhance well-being among football players. Future research should explore additional factors influencing stress and well-being, guiding tailored approaches to support athlete mental health.