Abstract

Retrospective Study

Impact of Traumatic Sports Injury on an Athlete’s Psychological Wellbeing, Adherence to Sport and Athletic Identity

Laurel Dacus, Christopher Castagno*, Ciara Castagno, Gil Gontre and William M Weiss

Published: 20 September, 2023 | Volume 8 - Issue 3 | Pages: 036-046

Introduction: Sports injuries can affect athletes across all ages, sexes, and levels of competition. The mental aspect of acute sports injury is often overlooked by coaches, trainers, and medical professionals. This study investigated if and how an acute traumatic sports injury affects an athlete’s psychological well-being, adherence to sport, and athletic identity. 
Methods: The study consisted of surveys sent to former or current athletes over 18 with one or more athletic injuries. The Qualtrics surveys were anonymous, and participants consented to the study within the survey. 
Results: There were 101 total participants (20.2% response rate) with an average age of 36. All reported one or more acute athletic injuries throughout their athletic careers. Specific survey sets were compared against each other using a variable correlation analysis (p - value < 0.05) and via Pearson’s Correlation.
Conclusion: The results indicated that injury impacts the lives of athletes most significantly on the field and can harm their performance based on their perception of the severity of the injury. However, this decline in performance and decrease in confidence does not correlate to an athlete’s desire to leave their sport or how they identify as being an athlete. 

Read Full Article HTML DOI: 10.29328/journal.jsmt.1001070 Cite this Article Read Full Article PDF

Keywords:

Sports psychology; Athletic identity; Adherence to sport; Athletic injury; Sports performance; Sports medicine; Coaching; Athletic training

References

  1. Horton RS, Mack DE. Athletic Identity in Marathon Runners: Functional Focus or Dysfunctional Commitment? Journal of Sport Behavior. 2000; 23(1): 101-119.
  2. Sarkar M, Fletcher D. How Should We Measure Psychological Resilience in Sport Performers? Measurement In Physical Education & Exercise Science. 2013; 17(4): 264-280.doi:10.1080/1091367X.2013.805141.
  3. Ryan RM, Deci EL. Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Am Psychol. 2000 Jan;55(1):68-78. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.55.1.68. PMID: 11392867.
  4. Cohen RA. Yerkes–Dodson Law. In: Kreutzer J.S., DeLuca J., Caplan B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. 2011. Springer, New York, NY. 
  5. Fletcher D, Hanton S, Mellalieu SD, Neil R. A conceptual framework of organizational stressors in sport performers. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2012 Aug;22(4):545-57. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01242.x. Epub 2010 Nov 18. PMID: 21083767.
  6. Weinberg R, Gould D. Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Human Kinetics, Eight Edition. 2023.
  7. Sudano LE, Collins G, Miles CM. Reducing barriers to mental health care for student-athletes: An integrated care model. Fam Syst Health. 2017 Mar;35(1):77-84. doi: 10.1037/fsh0000242. Epub 2016 Nov 28. PMID: 27893262.
  8. Arent SM, Landers DM. Arousal, anxiety, and performance: a reexamination of the Inverted-U hypothesis. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2003 Dec;74(4):436-44. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2003.10609113. PMID: 14768844.
  9. Önder SM. Study of the Concepts of Athletic Identity and Continuous Sport Self-Confidence in the Light of Various Variables. Journal of Education and Training Studies. 2017; 5(13). DOI:10.11114/jets. v5i13.2901.
  10. Putukian M. The psychological response to injury in student athletes: a narrative review with a focus on mental health. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Feb;50(3):145-8. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2015-095586. Epub 2015 Dec 30. PMID: 26719498.
  11. Ardern CL, Taylor NF, Feller JA, Whitehead TS, Webster KE. Psychological responses matter in returning to preinjury level of sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery. Am J Sports Med. 2013 Jul;41(7):1549-58. doi: 10.1177/0363546513489284. Epub 2013 Jun 3. PMID: 23733635.
  12. Cremades J, Wated G, Wiggins MS. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science. A Brief Report on 2017: Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science. 2018;15(3): 220-233. DOI: 1080/1091367X.2017.1391817.
  13. Robazza C, Bortoli L, Hanin Y. Perceived effects of emotion intensity on athletic performance: a contingency-based individualized approach. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2006 Sep;77(3):372-85. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2006.10599371. PMID: 17020081.
  14. Robazza C, Bortoli L, Hanin Y. Perceived effects of emotion intensity on athletic performance: a contingency-based individualized approach. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2006 Sep;77(3):372-85. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2006.10599371. PMID: 17020081.
  15. Cowee K, Simon JE. A History of Previous Severe Injury and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Former Collegiate Athletes. J Athl Train. 2019 Jan;54(1):64-69. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-377-17. Epub 2019 Jan 18. PMID: 30657720; PMCID: PMC6410981.
  16. Chang CJ, Putukian M, Aerni G, Diamond AB, Hong ES, Ingram YM, Reardon CL, Wolanin AT. Mental Health Issues and Psychological Factors in Athletes: Detection, Management, Effect on Performance, and Prevention: American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Position Statement. Clin J Sport Med. 2020 Mar;30(2):e61-e87. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000000817. PMID: 32000169.
  17. Allen-Collinson J, Hockey J. Working Out Identity: Distance Runners and the Management of Disrupted Identity. Leisure Studies. 2007; 26 (4): 381-398. 10.1080/02614360601053384. 
  18. Sanchez X, Lambert P, Jones G, Llewellyn DJ. Efficacy of pre-ascent climbing route visual inspection in indoor sport climbing. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2012 Feb;22(1):67-72. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01151.x. Epub 2010 Jun 16. PMID: 20561271.
  19. Feinberg JM, Aiello JR. Social facilitation: A test of competing theories. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 2006.
  20. Worringham CJ, Messick DM. Social facilitation of running: an unobtrusive study. J Soc Psychol. 1983 Oct;121(1st Half):23-9. doi: 10.1080/00224545.1983.9924462. PMID: 6645421.
  21. Mack AA, Baron D, Reinert J. The role of mentalhealth care in reaching optimal performance in sports. Sports Psychiatry: Journal of Sports and Exercise Psychiatry. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1024/2674-0052/a000050.
  22. Furie K, Park AL, Wong SE. Mental Health and Involuntary Retirement from Sports Post-Musculoskeletal Injury in Adult Athletes: a Systematic Review. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2023 May;16(5):211-219. doi: 10.1007/s12178-023-09830-6. Epub 2023 Apr 4. PMID: 37014610; PMCID: PMC10188780.
  23. Harris DV. Maximizing Athletic Potential: Integrating Mind and Body. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance. 1982.
  24. Wann DL. The Head and Shoulders Psychology of Success Project: An Examination of Perceptions of Olympic Athletes. North American Journal of Psychology. 2012; 14(1): 123-138.
  25. Uzzell KS, Knight CJ, Hill DM. Understanding and recognizing high-performance swimmers’ well-being. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology. 2022; 11(1): 12–27. https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000284.
  26. Daley MM, Griffith K, Milewski MD, Christino MA. The Mental Side of the Injured Athlete. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2021 Jun 15;29(12):499-506. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-20-00974. PMID: 33826560.
  27. Wahl CA, Gnacinski SL, Nai MM, Meyer BB. Psychological predictors of perceived stress and recovery in sport. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology. 2020; 9(3): 292–307. https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000175.
  28. Xanthopoulos MS, Benton T, Lewis J, Case JA, Master CL. Mental Health in the Young Athlete. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2020 Sep 21;22(11):63. doi: 10.1007/s11920-020-01185-w. Erratum in: Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2020 Oct 2;22(12):64. PMID: 32954448.
  29. Lundqvist C, Kenttä G, Raglin JS. Directional anxiety responses in elite and sub-elite young athletes: intensity of anxiety symptoms matters. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2011 Dec;21(6):853-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01102.x. Epub 2010 Mar 11. PMID: 22126716.
  30. Gouttebarge V, Frings-Dresen MH, Sluiter JK. Mental and psychosocial health among current and former professional footballers. Occup Med (Lond). 2015 Apr;65(3):190-6. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqu202. Epub 2015 Jan 31. PMID: 25638208.
  31. Savage DA, Torgler B. Nerves of steel? Stress, work performance, and elite athletes. Applied Economics. 2012; 44(19): 2423-2435. doi:10.1080/00036846.2011.564150.
  32. Abrahamsen FE, Roberts GC, Pensgaard AM. An examination of the factorial structure of the Norwegian version of the sport anxiety scale. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2006 Oct;16(5):358-63. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2005.00511.x. PMID: 16978256.
  33. Giannone ZA, Haney CJ, Kealy D, Ogrodniczuk JS. Athletic identity and psychiatric symptoms following retirement from varsity sports. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2017 Nov;63(7):598-601. doi: 10.1177/0020764017724184. Epub 2017 Aug 10. PMID: 28795636.
  34. Edison BR, Christino MA, Rizzone KH. Athletic Identity in Youth Athletes: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jul 8;18(14):7331. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18147331. PMID: 34299786; PMCID: PMC8305814.
  35. Rogers DL, Tanaka MJ, Cosgarea AJ, Ginsburg RD, Dreher GM. How Mental Health Affects Injury Risk and Outcomes in Athletes. Sports Health. 2023 Jun 16:19417381231179678. doi: 10.1177/19417381231179678. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37326145.
  36. Jasser J, Patel DR, Beenen KT. The Role of Psychologists in Sport Medicine Practice. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2022 Oct;69(5):975-988. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2022.05.010. PMID: 36207107.
  37. Kost ST. Motivation and Stress in Competitive Youth Sports. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance. 1982; v53 n3: 27-28. Eric #EJ260694.
  38. Putukian M. The psychological response to injury in student athletes: a narrative review with a focus on mental health. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Feb;50(3):145-8. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2015-095586. Epub 2015 Dec 30. PMID: 26719498.
  39. Birrer D, Morgan G. Psychological skills training as a way to enhance an athlete's performance in high-intensity sports. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2010 Oct;20 Suppl 2:78-87. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01188.x. PMID: 20840565.
  40. Wadey R, Hanton S. Basic psychological skills usage and competitive anxiety responses: perceived underlying mechanisms. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2008 Sep;79(3):363-73. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2008.10599500. PMID: 18816948.

Figures:

Figure 1

Figure 1

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 1

Figure 3

Figure 1

Figure 4

Figure 1

Figure 5

Figure 1

Figure 6

Figure 1

Figure 7

Figure 1

Figure 8

Figure 1

Figure 9

Similar Articles

Recently Viewed

Read More

Most Viewed

Read More

Help ?