The effects of coaching leadership behaviors on psychological burnout in high-level athletes: chain mediation of mental toughness and fear of failure

Abstract Purpose：Due to the inherent competitiveness, challenging and confrontational nature of competitive sports itself, high-level athletes are inevitably in a state of high pressure for a long period of time and are prone to burnout symptoms. Coach-athlete relationship is an important factor affecting high-level athletes' psychological burnout, and this study aimed to investigate the relationship between coach leadership behavior on high-level athletes' psychological burnout, as well as the mediating role of athletes' mental toughness and fear of failure in it. Methods: The Coach Control Behavior Scale, the Coach Support Behavior Scale, the Failure Performance Assessment Scale Simplified Form, and the athlete psychological burnout Scale were used to survey 247 high-level athletes in Wuhan, China. SPSS 27.0 statistical analysis software was used to count and analyze the questionnaires. Correlation analysis, regression analysis, and mediation model were used to assess the relationships among coach leadership behavior（control and support）, high-level athletes' mental toughness, fear of failure, and psychological burnout. Results: Coach control behavior was directly related to high-level athletes' psychological burnout (effect value: 0.310), insignificantly related through the mediating effect of mental toughness, indirectly related through the mediating effect of fear of failure (effect value: 0.084), and indirectly related through the mediating effect of mental toughness and fear of failure (effect value: 0.020). The positive predictive effect of coaching staff control behavior on psychological burnout in high-level athletes was significant (β=0.443, P<0.001), and with the addition of the mediating variables (mental toughness and fear of failure), the positive predictive effect of coaching control behavior on psychological burnout in high-level athletes remained significant (β=0.020, P<0.001). Coach support behaviors were directly related to athlete psychological burnout (effect value: -0.114), insignificantly related through the mediating effect of mental toughness, indirectly related through the mediating effect of fear of failure (effect value: -0.038), and indirectly related through the mediating effect of mental toughness and fear of failure (effect value: -0.028). The negative predictive effect of coach support on burnout in high-level athletes was significant (β=-0.199, P<0.001), and the negative predictive effect of coach control behavior on burnout in high-level athletes remained significant after the addition of the mediating variables (mental toughness and fear of failure) (β=-0.028, P<0.001). Conclusions：Coach control behaviors can have a negative and direct impact on burnout in high-level athletes.Fear of failure mediates between coaches' controlling behaviors and high level athletes' psychological burnout.Mental toughness and fear of failure play a chain-mediated role in coaches' controlling behaviors and high-level athletes' psychological burnout.Coaches' supportive behaviors have a positive impact on burnout of high-level athletes.The fear of failure plays a mediating role in coach support behavior and high-level athlete psychological burnout.mental toughness and fear of failure play a chain mediating role in coach support behavior and high-level athlete psychological burnout.