Examining the Correlation between Mental Health, Confidence, and Pre-competitive Anxiety among Pencak Silat Athletes: Gender-based Analysis

The importance of psychological factors such as mental health, pre-competitive anxiety, and self-confidence can influence and support performance enhancement in athletes. This article aims to explore the relationship between mental health, pre-competitive anxiety, and self-confidence among male and female athletes in Pencak Silat from PAL Kota Bandung and the West Java Pencak Silat PON team. The sample selection utilized Total Sampling technique encompassing the entire population based on gender. Through a quantitative descriptive approach, the study included 28 athletes. Instruments used were the Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire, Competitive State Anxiety Inventory – 2R, and Self-confidence in Sport Competition Questionnaire. Data analysis involved correlation tests and descriptive statistics. The correlation results for male athletes showed a Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.919 and a significance value of 0.000 between mental health and self-confidence. The correlation between pre-competitive anxiety and self-confidence for males indicated a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.526 with a significance of 0.053. For female athletes, the correlation between mental health and self-confidence revealed a Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.797 with a significance of 0.001, while pre-competitive anxiety and self-confidence showed a Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.091 with a significance of 0.759. Descriptive statistical results indicated differences in mean values between males and females in mental health, pre-competitive anxiety, and self-confidence. In conclusion, self-confidence in Pencak Silat athletes is significantly influenced by their mental health, with a stronger and more significant relationship observed among males compared to females. Pre-competitive anxiety also has an influence, though weaker and non-significant, especially among female athletes.