Psychological well-being and aggression in handball players: examining the mediating role of exercise addiction

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between psychological well-being and aggression among handball players and to determine whether exercise addiction mediates this relationship. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational design was used. The population consisted of players competing in the Turkish Handball Leagues during the 2024–2025 season, and 442 athletes participated using a non-probability sampling method. Data were collected via an online survey including a personal information form, the Psychological Well-Being Scale, the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire, and the Exercise Addiction Inventory. Results: Psychological well-being showed a significant negative correlation with aggression (r = −0.242, p < 0.001). Exercise addiction was positively associated with both psychological well-being (r = 0.212, p < 0.001) and aggression (r = 0.105, p = 0.027). Mediation analysis indicated that exercise addiction significantly and partially mediated the relationship between psychological well-being and aggression (indirect effect 95% CI: 0.0246–0.1654). The direct effect of psychological well-being on aggression remained significant (β = −0.7093, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Higher psychological well-being was associated with lower aggression among handball players, whereas exercise addiction was associated with both higher psychological well-being and higher aggression and emerged as a partial statistical mediator of this relationship. These findings may help inform future studies and preventive strategies focusing on athlete mental health and behavioral regulation. However, because of the cross-sectional design, causal inferences cannot be drawn.