Are elite athletes with disabilities mentally tougher than able-bodied competitors?

The growth through adversity hypothesis suggests that when an individual is required to cope with adverse events they learn strategies that enable them to adapt more effectively with environmental and situational demands. If applied to a sporting context, it could be suggested that where athletes have had to overcome adversity, in particular physical disability, they may exhibit different psychological skills profiles to athletes who have not experienced a similar life event. The aim of this study was to compare the use of psychological skills, and selected mental toughness attributes, between elite athletes with disabilities and able-bodied athletes. The participants were 67 athletes from the NSW Institute of Sport, who completed the Test of Performance Strategies, Trait-Sport Confidence Inventory, Athletic Identity Measurement Scale, Profile of Mood State (A) and a modified hardiness scale. The results indicated no significant differences between athletes with disabilities and able-bodied athletes in relation to the psychological measures, or between athletes who experienced disability from birth or as a result of an accident. The POMS findings for both groups also failed to illustrate the ice-berg profile, exhibiting low scores on vigour and high scores on depression and anger. It was concluded that success at an elite level of sport requires constant adaptation to adverse events for both athletes with disabilities and able-bodied athletes, which may account for the similar profiles of both groups