Chapter 5

The Psychology of Injury

Personality Variables

Personality-defined as “stable, enduring qualities of the individual.”

Personality characteristics that are related to sports injuries include:

• **(ex: aggressive vs passive, introverted vs extroverted)

• **-a general disposition or tendency to perceive certain situations as threatening and to react with an anxiety response

Personality Characteristics Cont.

• Locus of Control – people’s belief, or lack thereof, of being in control of events occurring in their lives• **: feel they have very little control over events in

their life• Believe factors such as fate, destiny, or luck determine

life events

• **: feel they are responsible for what happens to them

• They are in charge of their own life

Personality Characteristics Cont.

• Self Concept – an individual’s perception of “self”• Low self-concept functions as a significant risk factor for

athletic injury• Less able to deal effectively with the stress of competition,

and this inability may lead to behavior that will result in injury • Being injured may become an attractive alternative to

participation because it gives the athlete a legitimate excuse to avoid playing (receive more attention from teammates or coaches than they would normally receive)

• TSCS – Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (test that identifies athletes will low self-concept)

Seasonal Affective Disorder

• A psychiatric disorder that affects the general population, including athletes, primarily in the fall and winter seasons

• Symptoms – loss of physical capacity and energy, increased appetite (craves carbs), hypersomnia (excessive sleep), anhedonia (lack of normal pleasurable activities), and impaired social activity

Psychosocial Variables and Injury

• Psychosocial variables develop through interaction between individual and a changing social environment.

• *. • A strong relationship exists

between negative events and increased injury risk.

• *

Competitive Stress and AdolescentsAs more children participate in sports,

there are more concerns regarding the psychological impact of competition.

• *• Pressure to win is a concern.• Young athletes may be more prone to

injury, psychosomatic illness, burnout, and other stress-related problems.

• *

Psychology of Injury

Injury is a psychological stressor (anything that effects the body’s physiological or psychological condition and upsets the homeostatic balance) for athletes.

According to Weiss & Troxel:

• Phase 1 –*

• Phase 2 – The athlete appraises short- and long-term significance of the injury. (may engage in negative self doubt)

• Phase 3 – *

• Final stage – The athlete copes with long-term consequences.

Psychology of the Injured AthleteRecommendations involve:

1. Treating the person, not just the injury.

2. *3. Keeping in mind the importance

of communication skills.4. Remembering the relationship

between physical & psychological skills.

5. *

Eating Disorders

Majority of sports have narrow parameters for appropriate body type for athletic success. (Biomechanics)

• *• Media exposure focuses on

physical appearance, especially for females.

• Emphasis on the ideal body has negative effects on the athletic population.

Types of Eating Disorders

Anorexia nervosa – self-starvation motivated by obsession with thinness and overwhelming fear of fat; often times have a grossly distorted body image

Bulimia nervosa – repeated bouts of binge eating followed by some form of purging **

* Both are forms of eating disorders that are serious psychological problems that are most common among adolescent and young-adult females

Eating Disorders (cont.)

• Female athletes are more likely to practice pathogenic (unhealthy) 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. (vomiting, taking diuretics, exercising in rubber suits, etc)

Sport Specificity and Eating Disorders

• There is a higher incidence of eating disorders in gymnastics, ballet, distance running, diving, and figure skating.

• *• In a gymnastics study

(n=215), over 60% reported disordered eating behaviors.

Complications of Eating Disorders

• Esophageal inflammation• *• Hormone imbalances• *• Amenorrhea• Electrolyte imbalances• *• Anxiety

Prevention• Placing less emphasis on

weight.

• Avoiding referral to weight in a negative manner.

• *

• Avoiding ostracizing an athlete for being overweight.

Coaches and parents need to be alert for early warning signs.

Treatment

• Ranges from counseling and education 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.