{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T10:00:41Z","timestamp":1785405641776,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785110400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100032266","name":"Poznan University of Physical Education","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100032266","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"University of Lisbon"},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01c27hj86","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Human Performance"},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00sxx6887","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behav. Sci.","Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The present study aimed to examine whether self-esteem acts as a mediator in the relationship between problematic internet use (PIU) and well-being among athletes, and to determine the implications of these relationships for educational practice, coaching strategies, and athlete support interventions. A total of 334 Polish athletes participated in the study and completed the Polish versions of the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 (GPIUS2), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF). Pearson\u2019s r correlation coefficients and mediation analyses using a bootstrap approach were conducted. The main results showed that PIU was negatively associated with self-esteem and well-being, whereas self-esteem was positively associated with well-being. Statistically significant, although small, indirect associations through self-esteem were observed between PIU and general well-being, as well as between all dimensions of PIU and emotional and psychological well-being. For social well-being, statistically significant indirect associations were observed only for preference for online social interaction and deficient self-regulation. These findings suggest that self-esteem may represent one psychological factor associated with the interrelations between PIU and well-being in athletes. The results may contribute to a more cautious understanding of the links between problematic internet use, self-esteem, and well-being, and may inform psychoeducational and preventive strategies in sport settings while acknowledging the limited practical significance of the observed effects.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs16081276","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T09:47:41Z","timestamp":1785145661000},"page":"1276","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Problematic Internet Use, Self-Esteem, and Well-Being Among Athletes: Testing a Mediation Model and Its Implications for Coaching"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3777-0845","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"\u0141ukasz","family":"Bojkowski","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport Psychology, Poznan University of Physical Education, 61-871 Pozna\u0144, Poland"},{"name":"Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9558-3488","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vivian","family":"de Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2336-0853","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ant\u00f3nio Fernando Boleto","family":"Rosado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Human Performance, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"82","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-014-9242-5","article-title":"Perceived social support and mental health among single vs. partnered Polish young adults","volume":"34","author":"Adamczyk","year":"2015","journal-title":"Current Psychology"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2938","DOI":"10.1080\/07448481.2022.2142797","article-title":"Social media engagement, perceptions of social media costs and benefits, and well-being in college student-athletes","volume":"72","author":"Barry","year":"2024","journal-title":"Journal of American College Health"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1940640","DOI":"10.1080\/23311908.2021.1940640","article-title":"Investigation of problematic internet use behaviors of athletes in terms of personality traits","volume":"8","author":"Bedir","year":"2021","journal-title":"Cogent Psychology"},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Biechowska, D., Kaczmarek, \u0141. 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