TBP 313: Research on Burnout & Performance in Climbers with Dr. Maria Stefania Ionel

TBP 313: Research on Burnout, Performance, and Mental Health in Climbers with Dr. Maria Stefania Ionel

What does the research actually say about the psychology of climbing performance? And what’s really going on when a climber burns out — is it the same as overtraining, or something different altogether?

Today I’m talking with Dr. Maria Stefania Ionel, a clinical and sport psychologist based in Romania who has spent the last decade studying climbing psychology specifically. She’s published peer-reviewed research on personality and performance in climbers, developed a climbing-specific anxiety scale, and has worked with hundreds of recreational and elite climbers in her private practice since 2016. She’s also an 8b climber herself.

We cover a lot of ground in this episode — from what personality traits actually predict climbing performance (the answer might surprise you), to the difference between fear of falling and climbing anxiety, to how to recognize athletic burnout before it becomes something more serious.

Maria is also currently running an important study on mental health and burnout in climbers of all levels, and she needs participants. Details below.

In This Episode

What psychological variables predict climbing performance — and how grit, openness to experience, and low agreeableness each play a role
Why perfectionism is a double-edged sword for climbers, and how it can impair performance when it goes too far
The difference between fear of falling (normal) and climbing anxiety (problematic)
What athletic burnout actually is, how it differs from depression and overtraining syndrome, and why rest alone isn’t always enough
How coaches and athletes can recognize burnout early — and what intervention actually looks like
Findings from a 2024 Swedish study: 30% of elite climbers showed symptoms of depression, 49% had elevated stress levels, and 45% reported poor sleep quality
Why women tend to show higher rates of these symptoms than men

Maria’s Ongoing Research Study

Maria’s team is currently collecting data for a longitudinal study on stress, burnout, and mental health across all types of climbers — recreational, elite, competition, outdoor, and paraclimbers. If you’ve been climbing for at least a year, you qualify. It’s four short surveys over four weeks, completely anonymous.

👉 Take the survey here

Maria’s Published Research

Connect with Maria

Note: Maria does have a waitlist for new clients, but she’s also part of the International Association of Psychologists in Climbing, a network of about ten climbing-specialist clinicians worldwide who can help if she’s at capacity.

About TrainingBeta

TrainingBeta provides training programs, coaching, and resources to help climbers of all levels improve. Find programs at TrainingBeta.com.

Work with Me on Your Mindset

I work with climbers all over the world to help them understand how to deal with the fear, frustration, shame, or anxiety that is keeping them from enjoying climbing and performing their best. The results of our work are more joy and satisfaction with climbing and other areas of their lives, as well as climbing with less fear and anxiety.

You can sign up for a 15-minute introductory session with me to see if we’re a good fit, or sign up for an hour or 4 hours of sessions with me.