Building Mental Toughness: Systematic Literature Review of Mental Toughness Questionnaire 48 Use Over Last Decade

Abstract

Mental toughness is an important psychological capacity that plays a role in helping individuals survive, adapt, and perform optimally under pressure. One of the most widely used instruments to measure this construct is the Mental Toughness Questionnaire 48 (MTQ-48). This study aims to review the use of the MTQ-48 between 2015 and 2025 and identify the most influential dimensions of mental toughness based on empirical findings. The research method used a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) with PRISMA guidelines. A literature search was conducted through Google Scholar using keywords (“Mental Toughness” OR “Mental Toughness”) AND (“Scale” OR “Questionnaire” OR “Counseling” OR “Therapy” OR “Education”) with research spanning 2015–2025. Of the 1,021 articles identified, only 12 articles met the inclusion criteria for further analysis. The synthesis results show that the MTQ-48 is used in various contexts, including sports, education, adolescent mental health, psychological interventions, and professional work environments. Thematic analysis revealed that the commitment and control dimensions are the most dominant and consistent aspects influencing performance, academic adaptation, emotional regulation, and psychological well-being. Meanwhile, confidence and challenge emerged in certain contexts related to increasing self-confidence and the ability to cope with stress. The conclusion of this study states that the MTQ-48 is an adaptive instrument and is widely used across contexts, although it still has limitations such as self-report bias and a lack of cross-cultural studies. Further studies are recommended to combine the MTQ-48 with other assessment methods and expand the research context to understand the mental toughness more comprehensive.