Christopher Mesagno

Address:

• Victoria University, Institute for Health & Sport (IHES), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
• Federation University Australia, Faculty/College of Health (Adjunct), PO Box 663, Ballarat, Victoria 3353, Australia.

 

 

Research Interests:

• Choking under pressure
• Performance anxiety
• Self-presentation & fear of negative evaluation
• Attentional control & concentration
• Pre-performance routines
• Coping skills training
• Mindfulness & resilience
• Social media & sport performance
• Exercise & mental health
• Sport participation & motivation
• Collective team collapse
• Ageing & physical activity
• Emergency nursing wellbeing

 

 

Biography:

Dr. Christopher Mesagno is a sport and exercise psychologist renowned for pioneering research on choking under pressure and performance anxiety in sport. Trained in psychology (BS, University of Florida) and exercise & sport science (MS, University of Florida), he completed his PhD at Victoria University, where he now serves as a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow within the Institute for Health & Sport. Dr. Mesagno has authored 60+ research articles and chapters spanning anxiety, attention, coping, and concentration, and he has developed theory-matched interventions that help highly anxious and “choking-susceptible” athletes perform at their best. His work has shaped contemporary definitions and models of choking, bridged lab and field settings, and advanced methods—from pre-performance routines to attentional control strategies—to reduce pressure-induced performance failure.

Beyond performance, his recent program of research connects pressure failures with mental health consequences for athletes, advocating evidence-based support after performance setbacks. Dr. Mesagno’s collaborations also extend to sport participation, emergency nursing, and organisational wellbeing, reflecting a translational focus on resilience and health across high-stress contexts. He supervises HDR students, coordinates honours and postgraduate programs, and regularly consults with teams and individual athletes across sports. His contributions have been recognised with invited keynotes and fellowships in applied sport psychology communities.

 

 

Publications:

• Simic MR, Porter JE, Peck B, Mesagno C, et al. (2025). “It’s only a matter of time” — Lessons learnt and recommendations from COVID-19 to inform emergency nursing for future pandemics. Australasian Emergency Care, 28(2):76–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.auec.2024.10.004.
• Porter JE, Simic MR, Raymond A, … Mesagno C. (2025). The experiences of staff managing an organisational wellbeing centre in a large regional hospital: A qualitative study. International Journal of Healthcare Management. https://doi.org/10.1080/20479700.2025.2528027.
• Eime R, Harvey J, Charity M, Pankowiak A, Westerbeek H, Mesagno C. (2025). The motivations to play organised club-based sport in Australia. Leisure Studies, 44(4):697–712. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2024.2347282.
• Mesagno C, Hammond AA, Goodyear MA. (2024). An initial investigation into the mental health difficulties in athletes who experience choking under pressure. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 74:102663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2024.102663.
• Simic MR, Porter JE, Peck B, … Mesagno C. (2024). “I Just Know if I Keep Going, I’ll End Up Hating Nursing.” Lived Experiences of Emergency Nurses Three Years Into the Global COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 50(3):425–435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2024.01.003.
• Duggan L, Harvey J, Ford K, Mesagno C. (2024). The role of trait mindfulness in shaping the perception of stress… Personality and Individual Differences, 224:112638. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2024.112638.
• Mesagno C, Beckmann J. (2017). Choking under pressure: theoretical models and interventions. Current Opinion in Psychology, 16:170–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.05.015.
• Gröpel P, Mesagno C, Beckmann J. (2019). Choking interventions in sports: A systematic review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12(1):176–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2017.1408134.
• Mesagno C, Hill DM. (2013). Definition of choking in sport: Re-conceptualization and debate. International Journal of Sport Psychology. Open draft.
• Mesagno C, Harvey JT, Janelle CM. (2011). Self-presentation origins of choking: Evidence from separate pressure manipulations. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 33(2):268–286. Open PDF.

 

 

Profile last updated: October 10, 2025

 

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