EMOTIONALLY: A Literature Review
In a comparative study between athletes with concussions versus those with ACL injuries performed by Dr. Lynda Mainwaring, using tests of Total Mood Disturbance and Depression to determine trends among athletes pre and post-injury, and recovery longitudinally, athletes with ACL injuries were reported to have higher levels of depression for longer duration than those with concussions, with significant changes in their Depression scores solely. ACL patients maintained this higher emotional disturbance, while concussed patients only held emotional disturbances initially. Ultimately, the ACL tear has a far greater psychological impact, likely to cause an athlete not to return to sport die to anxieties/fears of re-injury. The comparative study revealed the major role the brain has in the process of treatment and rehabilitation.
A study conducted by Dr. Malinauskas investigated the associations among social support, stress, and life satisfaction as perceived by injured college athletes. His research supports the position that athletes with major injuries (compared to minor) were found to have less life satisfaction, greater perceived stress level, and a dichotomy between their perceived stress and perceived social support (largely dictated by their level of injury).
Dr. Leslie Podlog investigates the psychosocial impact injury can have on competitive athletes, focusing on the idea of a ‘holistic injury recovery,’ one which addresses both the physical and psychosocial aspects of injury. Variables such as life stress, motivation, and social support can affect an athlete’s general well-being, rehab, and return to sport post-injury. Athletes are characterized by severe anxiety surrounding possible re-injury, not performing to pre-injury standards, a lack of athletic identity, and insufficient social support. The aggressive stress and anxiety can actually increase the likelihood of injury, as psychological stress can lead to muscular fatigue, reduced timing, and diminished coordination, conditions ripe for injury-prone activity.