Rate My Professor Florentina van Rens

Dr. van Rens's research specializations include sports psychology, circus psychology, health psychology, and visual impairments. Her studies on the mental health of circus artists reveal elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and stress compared to general populations, with protective factors such as higher psychological resilience, older age, greater circus experience, and variations by discipline like object manipulation. She has identified that over one in three circus artists exhibit disordered eating behaviors, particularly in equilibrium and aerial disciplines, with resilience serving as a buffer. Her work on perfectionism differentiates self-critical, rigid, and narcissistic types, linking the former two to poorer mental health outcomes. Notable publications encompass the book Circus Psychology: An Applied Guide to Thriving Under the Big Top (Routledge, 2022), offering evidence-based strategies across mental health, environmental optimization, and mental skills training; and "A systematic literature review on the academic and athletic identities of Student-Athletes" (2020, co-authored with A.R. Steele and R.A. Ashley). She has incorporated circus skills into Murdoch University's sport and exercise psychology curriculum and contributes to international discussions on performer wellbeing.