Does Resilience Protect Against Burnout? Psychometric Validation of Burnout and Resilience Measures and Their Interplay in Elite Athletes

AbstractBurnout and resilience are increasingly recognized as key factors influencing athlete per-formance in high achievement sport. However, there is a lack of validated instruments in the Latvian context to assess these constructs. The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) and the Resilience Assessment Scale (RAS) in a sample of elite Latvian athletes; and (2) to examine the relationship between resilience and burnout dimensions. A total of 130 elite athletes participated in the study. The ABQ and RAS were translated and culturally adapted into Latvian using a multi-step procedure, followed by psychometric evaluation. Pearson correlation was used to assess relationships between burnout and resilience dimensions. The ABQ demonstrated a reliable three-factor structure, while the RAS yielded a modified, culturally relevant four-factor model. Both instruments showed acceptable internal con-sistency. However, no statistically significant correlations were found between resilience and burnout dimensions, indicating that resilience may not function as a direct protective factor in this sample. Strong intercorrelations among resilience subscales supported its multidimensional nature. The findings provide validated Latvian-language tools for sport psychology research and suggest that burnout in elite athletes may be influenced more by environmental than individual psychological factors