The study examined the effects of a 5-week goal-setting intervention on athletes' rehabilitation adherence, self-efficacy, treatment efficacy, and the psychological response variables: dispirited and reorganization. Participants were matched across six variables and randomly assigned to one of three groups: goal-setting intervention, social support control, and control. The results confirmed some of the hypothesized effects of the goal-setting intervention: (a) athlete self-report of adherence showed the goal-setting group adhered significantly more to the rehabilitation program than the other two groups; (b) the goal-setting intervention resulted in significant group differences for self-efficacy (the goal-setting group having the highest level of self-efficacy); and (c) there was a significant increase across time for reorganization and decrease across time for dispirited (between specific time phases).

This action research study employed a multi-modal intervention with three athletes rehabilitating from injury. The efficacy of a number of intervention strategies emerged, including social support, goal setting, imagery, simulation training, and verbal persuasion. Emotional support was perceived by athletes as important when rehabilitation progress was slow, setbacks were experienced, or other life demands placed additional pressures on participants. Task support mainly took the form of goal setting. There was support for the use of long-term and short-term goals, and both process and performance goals. The effect of outcome expectancy, rehabilitation setbacks, financial concerns, isolation, social comparison, and the need for goal flexibility emerged as salient to athletes’ responses to, and rehabilitation from, injury. In the reentry phase of rehabilitation, confidence in the injured body part, and the ability to meet game demands was perceived by participants as important to successful return to competition.

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The purpose of the present study was to explore the use of imagery by injured athletes during rehabilitation. Four athletes were interviewed about their imagery use at three phases of their rehabilitation; early, mid, and late. Athletes primarily used cognitive, healing, and pain management imagery. Cognitive specific imagery, which involved the rehearsal of specific performance skills was used largely to enhance self-confidence, and healing and pain management imagery were used to promote healing and deal with pain. However, differences emerged between athlete's use of imagery at different time phases and in response to different sources of stress/concerns. The study provided support for the effect of a number of variables on athlete's responses to injury, proposed by Wiese-Bjornstal et al.'s (1998) integrated model of response.

Objectives. This primary objective of the study was to examine the direct and moderating effects of hardiness on the prediction of sport injury, and the direct and indirect effects of hardiness on athletes’ responses to injury.Design. This study employed a longitudinal methodological design. Specifically, the injury status of 694 asymptomatic participants was monitored for 2 years. From the original sample, 104 athletes subsequently became injured and then completed a number of questionnaires throughout their recovery.Methods. Logistic regression, Pearson product‐moment correlation and Preacher and Hayes's (2008) bootstrapping procedure were used to analyse the data.Results. Findings revealed a direct and moderating effect of hardiness on the prediction of injury. Hardiness was also found to positively correlate with desirable, and negatively correlate with undesirable post‐injury psychological responses and coping strategies throughout recovery. Finally, problem‐focused coping was found to mediate certain effects of hardiness on injured athletes’ psychological responses.Conclusions. These findings have important implications for practitioners who have a vested interest in the health and well‐being of those who participate in sport and exercise in terms of minimizing rates of injury occurrence and/or facilitating recovery from injury.