Penerapan Mental Skills Training (Mst) dalam Meningkatkan Fokus Dan Regulasi Emosi Atlet: Tinjauan Literatur

Abstract

This study aims to analyse the effectiveness of Mental Skills Training (MST) as a psychological intervention to enhance athletes’ attentional focus and emotion regulation through a systematic review of recent literature. A structured literature review was conducted on five Scopus-indexed international articles that met the inclusion criteria, comprising experimental, quasi-experimental, survey, and meta-analytic designs that explicitly examined the application of MST in competitive athletes. Each study was analysed using a thematic approach to identify patterns of effectiveness, mechanisms of psychological change, and practical implications for sport training contexts. The findings indicate that MST through techniques such as mindfulness, self-talk, imagery, goal-setting, and attentional control consistently improves attentional stability, refocusing ability, arousal control, and reduces both cognitive and somatic anxiety. Meta-analytic evidence further confirms that mindfulness-based interventions significantly enhance optimal attentional states (fluency) and athletic performance. Additionally, blended models delivered via digital applications demonstrate improved training adherence and a stronger transfer of skills to competitive situations. It is concluded that MST is a comprehensive and effective approach for strengthening athletes’ mental readiness and modern performance demands. However, methodological variation and limited representation across sport disciplines highlight the need for further research employing more standardised designs and broader contextual applications.