The Impact of Injuries

A systematic review looking at psychosocial factors associated with outcome in sport injury rehabilitation in elite athletes concluded that three athlete responses were most important: cognitions, emotions, and behaviors[139]. The cognitive response, or how the athlete interprets the injury/illness, may determine an emotional response, which may then affect an athlete’s behavioral response (e.g. motivation, goal setting, compliance with treatment) as well as response to treatment. The cognitive and emotional responses to injury and illness can be considered either "normal" or "problematic". Examples of problematic cognitive responses include concerns about re-injury ("I can't do this as it might increase my risk for injury"), doubts about competency ("I can't play this sport"), self-efficacy ("I won't be good enough to start anymore"), loss of identity ("Who am I if I'm not an athlete") or concerns about the medical staff ("I don't think my medical staff is capable"). When an athlete is injured, one of the first responses is coping with and processing the medical information provided.