Burnout in athletes is characterized by loss of motivation to engage in sports activities and 1 competitions. This leads to athletes i ithdrai ing from competitions and developing mood disorders. Psychological safety may prevent these effects in athletes. Psychological safety is an organizational setting in i hich members are i illing to take risks in interpersonal relationships, thereby leading to team learning and i ellbeing of all members. The positive effects of psychological safety have been demonstrated in studies across multiple industries; psychological safety is a beneficial concept for athletes and is predicted to be effective in sports organizations. Hoi ever, as it is a relatively nei concept in sports research, fei quantitative studies have directly examined the relationship beti een psychological safety and sport-specific factors. The present study examines the relationship beti een psychological safety and burnout in athletes by using competitive anxiety and psychological competitive performance as mediating factors.
Structural equation modeling revealed a positive effect of psychological safety on each variable and burnout reduction. The results also found an indirect effect of psychological competitive ability on burnout reduction due to psychological safety. The results of this study provide suggestions for the development of prevention and intervention programs targeting athletes’ mental health problems from an organizational perspective.