PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS CONCERNING ATHLETES AND SPORTSPERSONS IN REHABILITATION PROGRAMS.
By Nisa Panthaki (BSc. Applied Psychology, FY)
Photo by Jeffrey F Lin on Unsplash
Michael Jordan once said, “My body could stand the crutches, but my mind couldn’t stand the sideline.” Sportspersons are considered to be the epitome of excellence and discipline because of the amount of hard work and training they go through to succeed in their fields, especially in today’s extremely competitive world.
However, sports comes with its fair share of risks and dangers. Injuries during sports are fairly common. Some of these may be minor but many athletes face chronic injuries that require a considerable amount of rehabilitation.
Athletes are always equipped with a medical team that focuses on their physical rehabilitation before they can get back into the game. However, many athletes also experience negative emotions and psychological responses during and even after their rehabilitation process. The negative impact on the athlete, after the injury, is substantial. When an athlete is injured, it does not affect his physical capabilities exclusively, but also contextual and psychological aspects. In fact, in given situations, injuries can deprive athletes of their compensation, increasing life-stress, and determine fear of reinjury, sensation of loss, negative emotions, and other mood disturbances. Here, I will be discussing some of the psychological concerns of the athletes that should be addressed during the rehabilitation process:
Post - injury Depression : Studies have shown that 80-85% of injured athletes suffer from post-injury depression. Clinical depression is a mental health disorder characterised by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life. A sportsperson might go through this after an injury as they may feel that the injury is a significant impediment in their career. They might feel that they have lost crucial opportunities and this would negatively impact their mental state as they work extremely hard for their careers and strive for perfection daily. When they are injured, they might not be able to do that, as they don’t have control over their body. They would also feel conscious about what other sports persons and their followers would think about them after the injury and would stress a lot over whether they could fulfil everyone’s expectations ever again. Many athletes constantly worry about letting others down. Experiencing acute or chronic pain physically in any body part could also increase feelings of frustration, depressive symptoms, stress etc.
Isolation : Injured athletes are away from something they have been passionate about their entire lives, their game. But the injury also isolates them from their fellow teammates and their sports community which could lead to feelings of loneliness. They start missing their daily routine, their friends, the people they have been around, etc. This could contribute to their depressive symptoms and would slow down the recovery process.
Low Self-esteem and Confidence : Athletes usually strive to be the best and after an injury, they are plagued by feelings of anxiety, low self-worth and a lack of confidence, They feel that they are not good enough and would have to start from scratch after the injury while others move ahead in the careers. They feel that the recovery process is a major setback for them and that they will never be able to catch up with other athletes who have surpassed them during their rehabilitation process. Some athletes might also struggle to get back to their form before the injury.
Fear : Many athletes have a fear of getting hurt again after an injury. This could have detrimental effects on their careers, if not addressed at the right time. Some athletes might also fear catching up and competing with other stronger players after the injury, while some might fear the responses from the public they might receive after getting back to their sports.
How should these concerns be addressed ?
It is essential to develop a multidisciplinary approach during the rehabilitation of sportspersons after an injury. The rehabilitation should focus on their physical and mental well-being simultaneously. In recent years, application of psychology has increased in rehabilitation of sportspersons. Effective communication is essential to ensure that the emotional needs of the athletes are taken care of. Their psychologist or therapist should make sure that the athlete feels understood and heard before overwhelming them with large chunks of information. They should be treated with respect. The communication with the athlete should be transparent and genuine.
Certain psychosocial techniques should be used during their recovery such as goal setting, imagery, relaxation techniques, motivation, positive self–talk etc. Goal-setting is an essential part of rehabilitation where the sportsperson develops realistic goals for particular exercises. The sports person must be taught positive coping mechanisms. Imagery must be used to mentally prepare for an activity by recreating mental states to simulate a relevant situation. These are all a part of psychological skills training which in addition to regular therapy would help address all the concerns faced by an athlete during rehabilitation. Consistent monitoring and check-ins with the athlete, having a solid support system, would contribute to their overall growth and development and would help combat feelings of loneliness and self-doubt. They should also be well–prepared mentally before returning to the game. It is essential to understand that every athlete is different and may take varying amounts of time to fully recover. They should be supported during every stage of rehabilitation as this would help enhance their performance in their future.
References :
https://www.flame.edu.in/in-the-media/psychology-of-sports-injury
https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/josptopen.2023.0007
Niklas Cederström, MSc, PhD student, Simon Granér, PhD, and Eva Ageberg, PhD. (2022). Addressing Psychological Factors in Sports Injury Rehabilitation – What is a Physical Therapist to do? Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2022; 17(2): 114–116. doi: 10.26603/001c.31667
Tracey Covassin, Erica Beidler, Jennifer Ostrowski, Jessica Wallace. (2015) Psychosocial aspects of rehabilitation in sports. Clin Sports Med Apr;34(2):199-212. doi: 10.1016/j.csm.2014.12.004. Epub 2015 Jan 24.
https://www.physio-pedia.com/Rehabilitation_in_Sport
About The Author :
Nisa Panthaki
Member, PsyCreative Column, Psychology Committee, JDSOLA, NMIMS.
Nisa is a first year student currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Psychology from NMIMS, Mumbai. She enjoys learning as much as she can about neuropsychology and mathematics. She is very organised and particular when it comes to academics. In her free time, she loves watching movies and shows. She feels that movies allow her to experience different emotions through multiple perspectives and help her transport herself to another reality, even if it is just for a couple of hours. Music plays a central role in Nisa’s life. She is a musician ; she plays the piano, the guitar and sings beautifully. She is extremely passionate about her art. Nisa loves listening to a lot of artists but some of her favourites are Queen, The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Coldplay. She loves listening to what these artists have to say through their music. Music helps her by inspiring her to give her best every single day, no matter what. She is also extremely passionate about Clinical Psychology and aims to make a difference in people’s lives by being a mental health professional in the future.
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