A systematic review of religion/spirituality and sport: A psychological perspective

• Main Authors: Noh, Youngeun, Shahdan, Syazana
• Format: Article
• Published: Elsevier 2020
• Subjects: RC1200 Sports Medicine
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/37133/

Objective: The study aimed to review the existing literature on religion/spirituality (R/S) in sport from the psychological perspective. Design: A systematic review using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was employed. Method: The literature search was completed in December 2018 using five different databases and Google Scholar. The titles and abstracts of the articles were reviewed for the selection process. The selected articles were classified into nine categories: the role of religion/spirituality, consultants, confidence, religious/spiritual faith, flow or being in the zone, identity, anxiety and depression, coping with adversity, and well-being and healing. Results: A total of 56 studies met the criteria. The selected articles comprised various types of study design that were quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, as well as conceptual, review, theoretical, commentary, and perspective articles. The findings show that R/S can play a significant role among athletes in several ways (e.g., coping with uncertainties, building team cohesion, and alleviating anxiety). This study has also uncovered a few issues that should be emphasized for future research such as developing quantitative tools for R/S and sport-performance measurement and designing a religious/spiritual coping strategy that can be used among athletes from various cultures/religions. Conclusion: Although R/S is often overlooked in sport psychology, the existing literature shows that it can have positive effects on mental health and contribute to achieving better sporting performance.