Psychological indicators of mental health in boxing athletes according to gender

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Details: Category: 2026, Volume 22; 20 May 2026; Hits: 305

Artur Litwiniuk¹, Juris Grants², Kalvis Ciekurs², Jan Supinski³, Zbigniew Obminski⁴

¹ Jozef Pilsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Faculty of Physical Education and Health, Biala Podlaska, Poland
² Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
³ University of Health and Sport Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
⁴ Institute of Sport-National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland

Author for correspondence: Artur Litwiniuk; Jozef Pilsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Faculty of Physical Education and Health, Biala Podlaska, Poland; email: : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Artur Litwiniuk: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1351-740X

Juris Grants:https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3116-9119

Kalvis Ciekurs: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7307-1542

Jan Supinski:https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1695-7272

Zbigniew Obminski: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3754-9748

Abstract

Background and Study Aim: Boxing is a combat sport where repeated brain trauma can increase the risk of escalating neurological and mental disorders. High scores on certain negative personality traits in young, healthy individuals are associated with health problems in adulthood. The aim of the study was to knowledge about the value of personality traits for estimating the Mental Health Index (MHI) in boxing athletes.

Material and Methods: Seventy-eight boxing male athletes and seventy-eight boxing male athletes were examined by psychological test. The ages of the athletes in both groups ranged from 19 to 23 years. A personality profile was determined using the Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), also known as the BIG FIVE, which includes scores on five personality traits: Neuroticism (Nu), Extraversion (Ex), Openness to Experience (Op), Agreeableness (Ag), and Conscientiousness (Co). Furthermore, the level of Trait Anxiety (TA) was assessed. The level of mental health expressed by the MHI was calculated using the formula: MHI = Ex/48 + Op/48 + Ag/48 + Co/48 - Nu/48 - Ta/80. Intergroup comparisons for each psychometric variable were performed using the Mann-Whitney test. Within each group, the relationships between variables were expressed using Spearman correlation coefficients. Statistical analysis was performed using the STATISTICA software package vs. 13.3.

Result: Statistically higher scores for Ex, Ag, and Co were observed in women. The level of mental health expressed by MHI was also significantly higher in female boxers, while TA and Nu levels were similar between genders. Different correlation coefficients were observed between the variables for both groups. Significantly fewer than one in three male participants (27%) reported a knockdown in the two years preceding the study, while none of the women reported such an incident. Based on sporting achievement, female boxers were somewhat more successful athletes than the male ones.

Conclusions: It has been observed that the gender differences in personality traits found in our study contradict the findings of other researchers, who have reported higher levels of negative traits such as TA and Nu in women. It was found that when interpreting the differences between personality traits and mental health levels in the groups we monitoring, one must take into account different sporting achievements in tournaments against foreign opponents; furthermore, it was observed that that women's punches are weaker, and therefore their exposure to punches directed at the head is lower than that of men. Another possible factor differentiating the personality profile between the two sexes is the significantly smaller population of women practising boxing and, consequently, easier competition among female competitors. It seems that another possible factor differentiating the personality profiles of both sexes is the significantly smaller population of women practicing boxing, and consequently, it is easier for those with talent to achieve success without the risk of compensating for multiple blows to the head from their opponents.

Key words: anxiety trait, the Big Five, personality profiles

AMA
Litwiniuk A, Grants J, Ciekurs K, Supinski J, Obmiński Z. Psychological indicators of mental health in boxing athletes according to gender. Arch Budo J Innov Agon. 2026;22.
APA
Litwiniuk, A., Grants, J., Ciekurs, K., Supinski, J., & Obmiński, Z. (2026). Psychological indicators of mental health in boxing athletes according to gender. Arch Budo Journal of Innovation Agonology, 22.
Chicago
Litwiniuk, A., J. Grants, K. Ciekurs, J. Supinski, and Z. Obmiński. 2026. “Psychological Indicators of Mental Health in Boxing Athletes According to Gender.” Arch Budo Journal of Innovation Agonology 22.
Harvard
Litwiniuk, A., Grants, J., Ciekurs, K., Supinski, J. & Obmiński, Z. (2026). Psychological indicators of mental health in boxing athletes according to gender. Arch Budo Journal of Innovation Agonology, 22.
MLA
Litwiniuk, A., et al. “Psychological Indicators of Mental Health in Boxing Athletes According to Gender.” Arch Budo Journal of Innovation Agonology, vol. 22, 2026.
Vancouver
Litwiniuk A, Grants J, Ciekurs K, Supinski J, Obmiński Z. Psychological indicators of mental health in boxing athletes according to gender. Arch Budo J Innov Agon. 2026;22.

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Mission of ARCHBUDO

The specific mission of the Archives of Budo 2023 is to strive for a breakthrough in public perception of a broad class of combat sports and martial arts as specific means of innovative agonology.