Statistics
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Estimates of 5-15
million adults and
children injured each
year in sport, exercise
and recreational
settings
Almost 100% of the
1200 NFL players will
have some injury
during a season
How are psychological factors
involved in sports injury?
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Precursors to injury
Influencing recovery
Influencing future play
Antecedents to injury
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Physical factors
– Physical shape (e.g., fitness level;
muscle imbalances)
– Overtraining
– Poor nutrition
– Fatigue
Antecedents to injury
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Behavioral & External factors
– Hyper-aggressive participation
Bill Johnson
Antecedents to injury

Behavioral & External factors
– Hyper-aggressive participation
– Playing surface / conditions /
equipment
– Opponent (in some sports)
– Situation (e.g., playoffs)
Antecedents to injury
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Psychological factors
– Personality (e.g., sensation-seeking, competitive trait anxiety)
– Stress
 Studies
 Theory explaining stress-injury relationship
– Psychological skills / coping
Stress and injury model
Antecedents to injury
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Social factors
– Reinforcement in sport for aggressive (risky?) play
– Win-at-all-costs attitude
– Playing with pain (“No pain, no gain”)
Psychological aspects of
injury and rehabilitation
HOW WILL AN ATHLETE RESPOND TO INJURY
AND THE REHABILITATION PROCESS?

Personal factors
– Personality factors (e.g., hardiness)
– History of injury / previous rehab experiences
– Sense of identity as an athlete
Psychological aspects of
injury and rehabilitation
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Situational factors
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The nature of the injury itself
Time in season and playing status
Accessibility to rehab
Others around athlete (do they disappear? become
overattentive?)
Psychological aspects of
injury and rehabilitation
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Cognitive appraisal
– Athletes interpret what the injury is going to do to them
– What athlete says to him or herself
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“Why me?”
“Will I ever return to my previous ability level?”
“I’m never going to be able to ...”
“What does this injury mean for my salary/scholarship/future?”
“What is the best way to rehab?”
“Will my teammates stick by me?”
– Coping style (optimistic vs. pessimistic; problem-solver)
Psychological aspects of
injury and rehabilitation
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Emotional reactions
– Often follow from the cognitive appraisal
– Can run the gamut of emotions
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shock / disbelief
fear
self-pity
anger
loss of confidence
depression / grief (Picabo Street video)
Picabo Street
"I went through a huge
depression," Ms. Street
said. "I went all the
way to rock bottom. I
never thought that I ever
would experience
anything like that in
my life."
Picabo Street
“I think it was a combination of the
atrophying of my legs, the new
scars, and feeling like a caged
animal," Ms. Street said. "I
went from being a very physical
person, a very powerful athlete,
to barely having any strength to
get from my room to the
kitchen. You're stuck and you
can't do what you normally do
and it makes you crazy."
Psychological aspects of
injury and rehabilitation
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Behavioral responses
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Adherence to rehab regimen
Acting tough OR being too fearful
Returning too quickly to practice / competition
Drug abuse (e.g., painkillers)
How athlete deals with setbacks
Psychological aspects of
injury and rehabilitation
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Benefits?
– Personal growth / perspective / development of identity
– Psychological performance enhancement
– Physical technical improvement
Facilitating recovery from injury
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Education
Goal-setting
Cognitive-restructuring
Imagery
Relaxation / Stress-management
Staying active with the team / sport
Social support (e.g., support groups for injured
athletes)