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Epstein, Ryan
Professor Leslie Wolcott
ENC 1102-0M03
16 November 2015
The Mental Dooms of Sports Injuries
In every sport in existence, athletes are put at a great risk of stumbling upon an injury.
The effects of a sports injury can completely turn the tables on an athletes life. The athletes may
not know it unless they actually get injured, and must be prepared to suffer the consequences.
Many different literatures written by licensed psychologists and/or therapists provide information
on the negative effects of sports injuries (Belger, 2013; Campigotto, 2010; Frank, 2015;
OConnor, 2010; Putukian, 2014; Wilson, 2011; Winsberg, 2015). In the present literature
review, depression is a major problem following a sports injury (Putukian, 2014). Multiple
research studies using surveys, questionnaires, and interviews have been done to get these
results. Fortunately, there is an abundance of methods for the athletes to get through the coping
process after a sports injury.
To begin, sports injuries are known to cause many negative effects on an athlete. Fear of
re-injury, a loss of identity, low self-esteem (Belger, 2013),vulnerability and stress (Winsberg,
2015), are some of the common negative effects. If a soccer player tears their MCL, for example,
their life may start to feel more challenging and chaotic, and they may be hesitant to get back on
the field due to fear of re-injury, and not wanting to go through the whole rehabilitation process
again. Furthermore, injury can trigger significant depression and suicidal ideation (Putukian,
2014). For example, Kenny Mckinley, former wide receiver for the Denver Broncos, sustained a

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severe knee injury in 2010. He was expected to be sidelined after surgery, and he previously
made statements about how he had no idea what he would do without the sport of football, and
began hinting signs of suicide. Unfortunately, he was later on found dead from a self-inflicted
gunshot wound.
Surveys, questionnaires, and interviews are great ways to conduct experiments involving
injured athletes and getting effective results. Many experiments have been done in regards to
coping strategies (Noadi and Ostrow, 2008), how athletes were affected by post-traumatic stress
(OConnor, 2010), how well the athletes met challenges of rehabilitation, and their psychological
readiness to return to play (Cohn, 2015). In Noadi and Ostrows research, after using cognitive
interventions, or a set of techniques and therapies practiced in counseling (Noadi and Ostrow,
2008) and relaxation interventions, or activities that relieve muscle tension (Noadi and Ostrow,
2008), they concluded that these interventions were successful in helping the participants
improve in mood and/or pain. In OConnors research, he concluded that post-traumatic stress
symptoms were present in a significant number of injured athletes after conducting a
quantitative survey to thirty-five injured athletes. In Cohns article, he provides a research done
by Mandy Ruddock-Hudson et al., and the experiment involved how Australian Football League
players were psychologically impacted from a long-term injury. Successful athletes who
maintained their mental toughness, were motivated to return to action and renewed their
hunger to compete (Cohn, 2015). The conclusion of this research was that an athletes
approach to injury significantly influences how well you cope with an injury and the
rehabilitation process.

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Lastly, there is an abundance of methods for the athletes to successfully get through the
coping process after a sports injury. Intervention methods are a great way to help aid through
rehabilitation (Christos, 2007). Some examples of these intervention methods are social support
from family, team, and coaches, and psychological skill training, which includes imagery,
cognitive techniques, and relaxation. Maintaining a positive attitude can allow the athlete to be
committed to overcome the injury by showing up for treatments and working hard (Quinn,
2014). If one remains positive, it will lead to goal-setting, which is crucial to the coping process.
Goal-setting can increase motivation for the athlete. Positivity will also lead to patience and
seeking support. Seeking support is the most important method in the rehabilitation process
because it helps mitigate feelings of isolation and depression. With the right knowledge, support,
and patience, injury can be conquered without too much stress (Quinn, 2014).
All in all, an injury is the last thing an athlete would ever want. They can be affected
severely, even enough to unfortunately become depressed. There has been plenty of research on
sports injuries and how they affect the athlete, including the intervention methods that are proven
to aid in the rehabilitation process. However, there isnt much research into the use of media to
educate the public on helmet use and other protective gear. If the public is well-informed on
protective gear, athletes may use this knowledge and this will have them more prepared for the
games, and prevent a future injury.
This type of research can be conducted in many ways, including commercials, since a
large population of people watch T.V., posters, so people may walk by and see them, and
Facebook, since millions of people are on it everyday and there is a good chance that they may
read and respond to the post. The research would be to see if there is a decrease, at all, in sports

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injuries all together. This could be a huge accomplishment in the world of sports psychology, and
may lead to future accomplishments as well.

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Works Cited
Belger, Allison. Coping with Injury: The Psychology of Being Sidelined. Invictus
Redefining Fitness. 08 July 13. Web. 11 Oct 15.
Campigotto, Jesse. "The Pain Game: How Athletes Deal with Injuries - CBC Sports - Sporting
News, Opinion, Scores, Standings, Schedules." CBCnews. 01 Dec.
2010. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.
Christos, Galazoulas. "Psychological Aspects of Rehabilitation following Serious Athletic
Injuries with Special Reference to Goal Setting: A Review Study." SDK Supplies. Jan.
2007. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.
Cohn, Patrick. "How Athletes Mentally Cope With Injury (New Research)." Peak Performance
Sports. 2015. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.
Frank, Monica A. Assessing and Coping With Injuries. Excel At Life, LLC. 2002. Web. 7 Oct
15.
Noadi, Airi, and Ostrow, Andy. "The Effects of Cognitive and Relaxation Interventions on
Injured Athletes Mood and Pain during Rehabilitation." Athletic Insight. 2008. Web. 13
Oct. 2015.
OConnor, John William, Sr. Emotional Trauma in Athletic Injury and the Relationship among
Coping Skills, Injury Severity, and Post Traumatic Stress. Ann Arbor: ProQuest, 2010.
Print.
Putukian, Margot. "Mind, Body and Sport: How Being Injured Affects Mental Health." NCAA.
05 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.
Quinn, Elizabeth. Coping with the Emotional Stress of a Sports Injury." About.com Health. 16

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Dec 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
Winsberg, Mimi. "The Psychology of the Injured Athlete." EnduranceCorner. n.d. Web. 11
Oct. 2015.