Injuries and getting hurt are an athlete’s worst nightmare. Recovering from them can take a very long time and, at worst, even end a sports career. Sports injuries can result from overuse, accidents, and mental factors.

Mental factors can also cause injuries to athletes. Although sports injuries are, in practical terms, physical, certain psychological traits can increase the risk of injury formation, according to studies. In addition to physical recovery, psychological factors also influence injury healing. The connections between sports injuries and psychology can be distinguished into pre-injury psychological factors and post-injury reactions, according to Maastohiihto.com.

Factors increasing the risk of injury

Stress increases the risk of injury. On average, the worst injuries occur in stressful situations, such as competitions or intense training. How an athlete reacts to stress is crucial in determining whether stress becomes a factor in increasing the risk of injury.

If an athlete perceives a competition situation as dangerous or unpleasant, they may react by becoming nervous or stressed. As nervousness increases, attention easily shifts to the wrong things. Muscle tension increases, causing the body to tire or stiffen more quickly, deteriorating coordination.

Under intense stress, it is impossible to observe the environment optimally, which increases the risk of mistakes. Previous injuries and other stressful experiences can cause fear of trauma recurrence. Also, general stress levels stemming from non-sport-related issues such as school problems or relationships increase the risk of injury, according to studies.

Constant irritability or nervousness is a characteristic that can increase the risk of injury. Athletes with low self-esteem or who are prone to doubting their abilities are more likely to get injured in the days leading up to a competition or cannot rest sufficiently before a competition. Injury or fatigue is already a good reason to fail or give up competing altogether.

The third factor influencing the likelihood of psychological injury is the resources available to the athlete to support both physical and cognitive aspects. In addition to psychological skills, social support is important – athletes with fewer support networks are, according to studies, more prone to injuries. In a well-structured network, the athlete can access a doctor, physiotherapist, or masseuse as needed, and they have people to discuss difficult issues with whenever necessary.

Resources also include the athlete’s skills, for example, in handling stress and knowing how to limit daily activities according to goals.

The fourth factor affecting susceptibility to injury is the athlete’s psychological skills. Mental coaching and exercises can reduce the likelihood of injury. The exercises involve developing previous factors, such as controlling thoughts related to nervousness and tension, directing internal speech, and relaxation techniques.

Factors promoting injury recovery

When a sports injury occurs, the athlete’s reaction is influenced by individual characteristics, the nature of the injury, and the social and psychological environment. The athlete’s emotional reaction and behavior after the injury depend on these factors. Different athletes react very differently to the same injury, or the same athlete may react differently to the same injury in different situations. Injuries often affect an athlete’s mental well-being, with the most common emotional reactions following an injury being irritability, depression, frustration, anger, and grief.

The reaction does not depend solely on the type or severity of the injury but on how the athlete interprets the situation. If the athlete sees the injury as a final, irreplaceable loss, the stress is much greater than if the injury is perceived as a temporary setback as part of their sports career. Therefore, it would be important in rehabilitation to also consider the development of the psychological aspect. Promoting the mental aspect of “recovery” involves maintaining a daily routine and doing rehabilitative exercises but also filling the time freed up from exercises with some other meaningful hobby. Such a plan is easily feasible, but it does not emerge on its own; it requires separate attention. To strengthen the emotional side visualization exercises can be done to reinforce motivation and help maintain an optimistic mood.

Psychological factors affect athletes on many different levels, and the perspective that sports injuries are not just accidents brings responsibility to both athletes and coaches, but positive thinking also brings a sense of security. Mental factors affect the likelihood of injury, but psychological traits can be developed just like physical ones.

Sources:

J.M. Williams: Psychology of injury risk and prevention. (Handbook of sport psychology, 2001) J.H. Kerr and J. Gross: The effects of a stress management program on injuries and stress level. (Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 1996)

B.W. Brewer: Review and critique of models of psychological adjustment to athletic injury. (Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 1994)

D.M. Wiese-Bjornstal, A.S. Smith, S.M. Shaffer, and M.A. Morrey: An integrated model of response to sport injury: psychological and sociological dynamics. (Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 1998)