Examining the Effects Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) with Embedded Athlete Rational Resilience Credo (ARRC) on the Irrational Beliefs, Motivation Regulation, and Mental Health in Student-Athletes

The use of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) in sport psychology is growing, and the use of the REBT-derived athlete rational resilience credo (ARRC) has been reported as an effective tool for use within REBT. The present study adds to the extant literature by examining the utility of REBT and the ARRC in reducing irrational beliefs, enhancing self-determined motivation, and mental health in student-athletes. Participants were three amateur student-athletes (two females and one male; M  = 28.6, SD  = 5.56; age range 21–34) engaged in basketball, badminton, and kickboxing. Using an idiographic single-case design, participants completed psychometric measures (IPBI, SMS-II, and MHI) at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up. The student-athletes received REBT and were encouraged to produce their own ARRC. Visual analyses revealed reductions in irrational beliefs, improved self-determined motivation, and mental health in all three cases. The current study extends emerging REBT research by advancing the understanding of how REBT and the ARRC can be used to bolster self-determined motivation and mental health. The findings may inform sport psychology practitioners seeking strategies to enhance motivation, rationality, and mental health in this population. The use of single-case design and small sample size, limit the generalizability of the study. However, despite limitations this study explicitly demonstrates the potential of employing REBT in conjunction with ARRC for student-athletes. Future research should focus on larger more diverse athlete populations and potentially employ a longitudinal approach to examine sustained outcomes.