A Preliminary Study of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program for Competitive Anxiety in Junior Athletes

The purpose of this study was to develop and examine the preliminary effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral therapy program to address competitive anxiety among junior athletes. This cognitive behavioral therapy program for competitive anxiety in junior athletes was developed based on a cognitive behavioral therapy program for anxiety disorder in children and adolescents (Ishikawa, 2013). The goal of the program was not to eliminate competition anxiety itself, but to make athletesʼ interpretation of competition anxiety and cognition more flexible. A group of seven junior players (four males and three females) from a private tennis club were treated by a clinical psychologist once a week for a total of four sessions. This program was shown to increase their psychological performance selfefficacy post-intervention and at follow-up compared to pre-intervention. Interpretation of competitive anxiety and competitive positive self-statements showed a post-intervention increase compared to preintervention. Finally, the future effective practice of the program is discussed.