Mental Toughness and Emotional Distress among Chinese and Malaysian University Basketball Players: A Correlational Study

HRMARS - This study examined the relationship between mental toughness and emotional distress among university basketball players in China and Malaysia. A total of 132 male student-athletes participated in the study, including 66 players from Zhengzhou University of Technology (ZUT), China, and 66 players from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia. Mental toughness was assessed using the Mental Toughness Questionnaire-48 (MTQ-48), covering the dimensions of Challenge, Commitment, Control, and Confidence, while emotional distress was measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). As several variables were not normally distributed, non-parametric analyses were conducted, including Mann–Whitney U tests and Spearman correlation analysis.The findings revealed significant group differences across all mental toughness dimensions and emotional distress variables. UTM players scored higher in Challenge and Confidence (both p < .001), whereas ZUT players scored higher in Commitment and Control (both p < .001). Significant differences were also found in Stress (p = .004), Anxiety (p < .001), and Depression (p < .001). In the total sample, Control was the only mental toughness dimension significantly and negatively correlated with Stress (r = -.193, p < .05), Anxiety (r = -.293, p < .01), and Depression (r = -.271, p < .01). However, these associations were not consistently retained in the country-specific analyses. In contrast, Stress, Anxiety, and Depression were strongly and positively interrelated across all samples (all p < .01). Overall, the findings suggest that Control may be the most relevant protective dimension of mental toughness in relation to emotional distress among university basketball players. The study also highlights the importance of culturally sensitive psychological support in university sport settings.