Síndrome de burnout, estratégias de coping e classe funcional em atletas de basquete em cadeira de rodas

Abstract

Wheelchair basketball athletes suffer from stressors such as inadequate preparation for competition, functional classification, and performance concerns. Therefore, when stress becomes chronic, it can result in burnout, defined as a syndrome with three dimensions: physical and emotional exhaustion, reduced sense of sporting achievement, and sporting devaluation. However, burnout can be prevented or mitigated with the use of coping strategies, which are continuous efforts of thought and action to manage situations evaluated as stressful. This dissertation was composed of two studies. The first is a systematic review study aimed at synthesizing the existing literature on burnout and coping in athletes with disabilities and identifying the psychological and physical variables associated with burnout and coping in this population. Seven articles with a predominance of cross-sectional design were selected. It is concluded that the scientific production in relation to coping and burnout in athletes with disabilities is under construction due to the few studies, mainly on burnout, found in this review. Coping is associated with self-determined motivation and functional class, and burnout is associated with socially prescribed perfectionism and sleep. The second consists of an original study with the objective of identifying the most perceived dimensions of burnout and coping strategies, analyzing the perception of burnout and coping according to the placement in the championship, and relating the functional class with the dimensions of burnout and coping strategies. Seventy-one wheelchair basketball athletes completed the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire and Athletic Coping Skills Inventory during the competitive phase. The results showed that, in relation to the burnout dimensions, the reduced sense of sporting achievement was more perceived than physical and emotional exhaustion, while the worry-free coping strategy was the least perceived. No differences were observed in the perception of burnout or coping in relation to the placement of the team in the final classification of the competition. In addition, there was no relationship between functional class and burnout or coping. We conclude that team performance does not interfere with the perception of burnout or coping, and the functional class is not a key factor for burnout or coping.