Mental toughness
Mental toughness is a psychological edge that enables an individual to effectively overcome life difficulties, stressful situations, and emotional challenges while maintaining internal resilience and focus. It involves emotional regulation, cognitive flexibility, optimism, willpower, and an unwavering self-belief in problem-solving and achieving goals regardless of circumstances.
In clinical psychology and counseling, it is utilized to assess a person's coping mechanisms and internal character resources. It is widely applied in sports psychology to enhance performance under intense pressure and in organizational settings to build resilient, adaptable teams capable of navigating crises.
Lin, Y., Mutz, J., Clough, P. J., & Papageorgiou, K. A. (2017). Mental toughness and individual differences in learning, educational and work performance, psychological well-being, and personality: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, Article
Crust, L. (2008). A review and conceptual re-examination of mental toughness: Implications for future researchers. Personality and Individual Differences, 45(7), 576–583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2008.07.005
Zeiger, J. S., & Zeiger, R. S. (2018). Mental toughness latent profiles in endurance athletes. PLOS One, 13(2), Article e0193071. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193071