The impact of episodic future thinking on sports mental resilience and social inclusion among wheelchair tennis players

Abstract

Background: The intricate process of ensuring equitable access to opportunities, resources and connections through social inclusion promotes social interaction. Resilience is frequently associated with these variances, and the ability to bounce back from setbacks is one of the most crucial components of athletic success. Episodic future thinking (EFT) is the capacity to visualise oneself in the future, establishing a link between one’s present and future selves, promoting resilience and social integration.
Objectives: To evaluate the impact of EFT on sports mental resilience and social inclusion among wheelchair tennis players. To assess the social inclusion and mental resilience of wheelchair tennis players.
Method: This was a randomised controlled trial and employed a convenience sampling technique to recruit 36 wheelchair tennis players. It was divided into two groups: the Experimental group: EFT combined with strengthening exercises and the conventional group: Counselling combined with strengthening exercises. This study was formally registered in the Thai Clinical Trial Registry (TCTR) under the registration number TCTR20250310008.
Results: A total of 36 wheelchair tennis players with findings on Social Inclusion and Sports Mental Resilience were included, with 18 in the experimental group and 18 in the conventional group. Both groups were comparable in post-mean values. The experimental group showed statistically significant results compared to the conventional group (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: This study concludes that while both EFT and conventional training improve sports’ mental resilience and social inclusion.
Contribution: The combination of EFT with strengthening exercises is slightly more effective than conventional training.