Introduction and Objective: Designing support models within sports federations can play a crucial role in enhancing performance management and mental health among elite athletes. This study aimed to examine the effects of implementing such models on the performance and mental well-being of Iranian elite athletes.
Methodology: Using a descriptive-analytical approach and stratified random sampling, 320 elite athletes (190 male, 130 female) from Iranian national teams participated. Data collection tools included the Performance Management Questionnaire (PMQ) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Data were analyzed using independent t-tests and multivariate regression in SPSS.
Findings: Results indicated that implementing support models in federations significantly increased mean performance management scores (p<0.01) and reduced anxiety and depression symptoms (p<0.05) among elite athletes. Regression analysis showed that psychological and managerial support from federations strongly predicted improved mental health (β=0.62) and sports performance (β=0.54).
Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that designing and implementing support models in Iranian sports federations leads to significant improvements in both performance management and mental health of elite athletes. It is recommended that federations systematically adopt these models.