Psychological factors during competition: differences between male and female paralympic powerlifting athletes

Paralympic Powerlifting (PP) demands not only physical and technical performance but also psychological features. The aim of this study was to compare mental health variables and quality of life between male and female PP athletes during a national competition. 26 male and 15 female PP athletes answered questionnaires to measure pre-competitive anxiety (SCAI-2), trait-state anxiety (IDATE), mood states (POMS), depression (BECK-II), and quality of life (SF-36) before a national-level PP competition. Male athletes reported high self-confidence and lower mood disturbance than female athletes. No difference was found in anxiety, depression, or quality of life measures between genders. Gender-specific psychosocial stressors and competitive stimuli familiarisation can affect gender differences in mental health measures. Moreover, the Paralympic sport context could explain the lack of differences in quality of life and some mental health variables.