The Psychology of Injury

1
Chapter 5

• The Psychology of Injury

2
Personality Variables

• Personality is defined as stable enduring
  qualities of the individual.
• Characteristics that are related to sports
  injuries include
• General personality.
• Trait anxiety.
• Locus of control.
• Self-concept.

3
Psychosocial Variablesand Injury

• Psychosocial variables develop through
  interaction between person and environment.
• Stressful life events can be positive or negative
  episodes.
• A strong relationship exists between negative
  events and sports injury.
• Athletes with high degrees of coping ability are
  less likely to get injured.

4
Competitive Stress and Adolescents

• As more children participate in sports, there are
  more concerns regarding the psychological
  effects.
• Intensity of competition has increased.
• Pressure to win is a concern.
• Young athletes may be more prone to injury,
  psychosomatic illness, burnout, and other stress
  related problems.
• Coaches and parents must take care to avoid
  forcing children beyond their ability to cope.

5
Psychophysiological Responses

• Injury is a psychological stressor for athletes.
• According to Weiss Troxel
• Phase one The athlete adapts to activity
  restriction.
• Phase two The athlete appraises short- and
  long-term significance of the injury.
• Phase three The athlete experiences emotional
  responses.
• Final stage The athlete deals with long-term
  consequences.

6
Psychology of the Injured Athlete

• Recommendations involve
• Treating the person, not just the injury.
• Treating the person as an individual.
• Keeping in mind the importance of communication
  skills.
• Remembering the relationship between physical
  psychological skills.
• Seeking the help of a sports psychologist.

7
Eating Disorders

• Majority of sports have narrow parameters for
  appropriate body type.
• Some sports demand leanness for success.
• Media exposure focuses on physical appearance,
  especially for females.
• Emphasis on the ideal body has negative effects.
  

8
Eating Disorders (continued)

• Anorexia nervosa self-starvation motivated by
  obsession with thinness and overwhelming fear of
  fat
• Bulimia nervosa - repeated bouts of binge eating
  followed by purging

9
Eating Disorders (continued)

• Female athletes are more likely to practice
  pathogenic dietary habits than males.
• Rosen et al., found that 32 of athletes
  practiced some form of pathogenic eating
  behavior.
• Little is known about pathogenic eating disorders
  in male athletes, for example, making weight in
  wrestling.
• Sport Specificity and Eating Disorders
• There is a higher incidence of eating disorders
  in gymnastics, distance running, diving, and
  figure skating.
• In a gymnastics study (n215), over 60 reported
  disordered eating behaviors.

10
Eating Disorders (continued)

• Eating disorders are becoming problems in sports
  such as field hockey, softball, volleyball,
  track, and tennis.
• Associated physical problems include esophageal
  inflammation, erosion of tooth enamel, hormone
  imbalances, and amenorrhea.
• Depression and anxiety often affect people with
  eating disorders.

11
Eating Disorders (continued)

• Prevention efforts include
• Placing less emphasis on weight.
• Avoiding referral to weight in a negative manner.
• Avoiding mandatory weigh-ins.
• Avoiding ostracizing athlete for being
  overweight.
• Coaches and parents need to be alert for early
  warning signs.

12
Eating Disorders (continued)

• Treatment
• Ranges from counseling to hospitalization.
• May include psychological counseling as eating
  disorders can be symptoms of severe psychological
  problems such as depression.
• One-third of all cases do not respond to therapy.