Psychological challenges young athletes face when dealing with a long-term injury

Abstract

All over the world, you hear about athletes who see their season, or even a premature end to their sports career because of a serious injury. The aim of this study is to explore and identify the different mental states young athletes go through when injured, their coping mechanisms, and whether they found enough support through this tough time. Athletes face several challenges during the injury period, especially when dealing with both the physical and psychological aspects of the rehabilitation process. A qualitative approach was ideal to gain an in depth understanding of the participants’ experiences. For this study, a purposive sample was utilised to conduct six semi structured interviews with the athletes. The data analysis adopted for this dissertation was ‘Thematic Analysis’ (TA) in order to allow a rich, detailed and flexible understanding of the athletes’ lived experience. The results from this study indicate three main themes: ‘The Emotional and Psychological Pain,’ ‘Rehabilitation Process,’ and ‘Coping Mechanisms.’ The participants expressed evident emotional pain, and great absence in support when sustaining the injury. Results reveal that the athlete experiences similar feelings resembling the stages of grief described by Kübler-Ross (1969). Also, support from various sources as well as personal determination were found to be key for a successful rehabilitation. Having said this, the interviews highlighted the fact that most participants dissent from going to a sport psychologist in tough times. Furthermore, athletes still believe there is a stigma on psychological support and this is seen as weakness