19/05/2026
Last week, delegates from 17 countries converged on Budapest to spend two brilliant days exploring the concept of mental toughness and its applications in a wide range of settings.
One strand illustrated our growing understanding of this very well-evidenced concept. Professor John Perry explained current thinking on the sources of our mental toughness and how this will improve the way we optimise it. Doug Strycharczyk explored how mental toughness is the biggest direct and indirect influence on behaviour, bringing a capability to understand why we behave the way we do.
Rebecca Herbert presented an Organisational Development case study where applying the concept and the MTQPlus measure enabled the organisation to meet a particularly demanding target whilst maintaining wellbeing. Dr Natalie Robson explored cultural implications in understanding mental toughness.
Zoltán Csigás brought his considerable expertise to describe how the concept can elevate coaching practice. DARE Communication described how they applied creativity in their work.
Toni Molyneux Roberts and Joanne Taylor illustrated its positive impact on young people's development in high school and in rehabilitating young offenders.
Developing young people was a theme picked up by Alessia Mevoli and Dr Edit Kővári, who described two different but equally successful approaches to employability development in students at the Universities of East Anglia (UK) and Pannonia (Hungary).
Panel discussions and facilitated breakout sessions enabled all attendees to participate fully in the conference. Several attendees also showcased posters describing their work with the mental toughness concept and the MTQPlus measure.
An unqualified success, there was something for everyone, enabling all to take away many points of interest that keep them “ahead of the curve.”
A huge thank you to all speakers, attendees, poster presenters, facilitators, and organisers for making the conference such an engaging, insightful, and collaborative event. Your expertise, enthusiasm, and willingness to share ideas created a truly memorable experience for everyone involved.
