A qualitative exploration of the influence of high lifetime stressor exposure on sports performers interpretations of daily life stressors

Research has found that lifetime stressor exposure increases the risk for mental and physical health problems. Although important, previous research has predominantly used self-report questionnaires, which only assess stressor exposure at a single point in time. To address this limitation, we used a longitudinal study design to explore how historical exposure to high lifetime stress influences sport performers’ interpretations of, and responses to, daily life stressors. We identified participants in the top 10% of lifetime stressor count and severity, as assessed by the Stress and Adversity Inventory and the Sport Stress Assessment Module. 298 sport performers (153 male; M_age = 30.71 years, SD = 13.31) completed these measures, and seven participants (3 female; M_age = 31.86 years, SD = 8.65) who had experienced high lifetime stress completed daily audio diaries for a 28-day period about their interpretations of, and responses to, daily life stressors. We analyzed the data using interpretative phenomenological analysis and identified six group experiential themes: (1) hyperfixation; (2) disproportionate responses to stressors; (3) self-reliance leading to social isolation; (4) unrealistically high expectations of self and others; (5) overly empathetic to others; and (6) hypervigilance to future stressors. This study extends prior research by utilizing daily audio diaries to capture longitudinal data, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of how historical exposure to stressors influence responses to daily life stressors. Consequently, practitioners can use these findings to educate sport performers on utilizing more adaptive responses to acute daily life stressors.