JSSF : Journal of Sport Science and Fitness
Vol. 12 No. 1 (2026): Journal of Sport Science and Fitness

Associations of Perceived Stress and Team Support with Mental Toughness and Resilience among Esports Players

Aldiansyah Aldiansyah (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia)
Mustika Fitri (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia)
Syam Hardwis (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
13 Oct 2026

Abstract

Background: Esports has developed into a highly competitive activity, so that psychological pressure is experienced by players who are influenced by Perceived Stress due to a toxic online environment, but can be reduced through team support. Objectives: This study analyzed the influence of Perceived Stress and team support on the mental toughness and resilience of esports players. Method: This correlational quantitative study involved 167 active esports players aged 17–25 years who were convenience-sampled. Data were collected via validated online questionnaires assessing Perceived Stress, team support, mental toughness, and resilience, and were then analyzed using multiple linear regression. Result: Perceived stress and team support together accounted for 73.7% of the variance in mental toughness (R² = .737, F(2,164) = 229.70, p < .001). Perceived stress showed a significant association with mental toughness (β = 0.494, p < .001), as did team support (β = 0.446, p < .001). For resilience, the two predictors jointly accounted for 74.6% of the variance (R² = .746, F(2,164) = 240.28, p < .001). However, once team support was included in the model, perceived stress was not significantly associated with resilience (β = 0.046, p = .384), whereas team support demonstrated a strong, significant association (β = 0.832, p < .001). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the psychological resilience of esports players is influenced not only by individual character but also by social dynamics within a competitive environment. Therefore, mental toughness and resilience need to be strengthened through psychological support and team-based interventions to cope with competitive pressure.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jssf

Publisher

Subject

Other

Description

Journal of Sport Science and Fitness (JSSF) is an international, double-blind peer reviewed journal. It is published two times a year, on July and November. We do focus on publishing quality articles, therefore only 10 articles each issue of publication. JSSF considers submissions on any aspect of ...