Examining the relationship between rational and irrational fan beliefs and psychological distress in sport fans

Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) has been studied for many years in relation to psychological distress and well-being in various groups, including students, employees, and athletes. This study aims to examine the relationship between rational and irrational fan beliefs, and psychological distress (depression, anxiety and stress), in sports fans. It also aims to investigate the moderating role of gender, marital status and competition results in this relationship. The participants of the study are the fans of two Istanbul teams competing in the Turkish Football Federation Trendyol Super League 2024-2025 season. Data were collected within three days after the match between the two teams. The study included 256 fans, 100 of whom were female (39.06%) and 156 of whom were male (60.94%). The participants were aged between 23 and 48, with an average age of 26.34 years (SD = 5.38). Data were collected using the Sport Fan Beliefs Inventory and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). A moderator effect analysis was performed on the data using PROCESS Macro (V4.2). The analyses revealed that psychological distress was negatively correlated with rational fan beliefs and positively correlated with irrational fan beliefs. However, gender, marital status and match result were not found to significantly moderate the relationship between rational and irrational beliefs and psychological distress. Furthermore, male gender, single status and losing the match were identified as risk factors for mental health. As a result, the relationship between fans' rational and irrational beliefs and the psychological distress they experience in daily life was examined and it was found that rational beliefs were negatively related to fans' psychological distress and irrational beliefs were positively related. These findings were discussed within the REBT framework and recommendations were presented for future research, as well as for mental health professionals, sports clubs and sports media.