Applied psychology of sport injury: Getting to—and moving across—The Valley of death

Abstract

Areas of science in which policy and practice lag behind research evidence are known as "valleys of death" (Reis et al., 2008). It can be argued that sport injury psychology has not yet reached, let alone crossed, its own valley of death. In this paper, we consider what developments in the evidentiary base are required to reach and cross the valley of death to advance the application of psychology to sport injury prevention and rehabilitation over the next 10 years. To that end, we reflect on the current research landscape and application-readiness of several subareas of sport injury psychology, highlight some of the strengths and limitations of sport injury psychology research, consider what is required to increase the likelihood that findings from empirical sport injury psychology research will be applied as part of future preventive and rehabilitation practice to cross the valley of death, and how this can be achieved. Finally, we identify what we consider to be some of the most pressing questions for sport injury psychology researchers to address to help enhance the quality of future research and practice.

Psychosocial experiences of competitive rugby players on the “long, long journey” to recovery following ACL ruptures and reconstruction

“…High motivation levels were noted among the participants, with earlier research identifying both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators as drivers of rehabilitation 22 . Resilience and goal‐directed behavior has been shown to enhance satisfaction with the progress, 23,24 whilst goal setting has also been shown to contribute to rehabilitation adherence 25 . There was evidence of the participants adhering positively to their rehabilitation programs.…”

“…22 Resilience and goal-directed behavior has been shown to enhance satisfaction with the progress, 23,24 whilst goal setting has also been shown to contribute to rehabilitation adherence. 25 There was evidence of the participants adhering positively to their rehabilitation programs. Previous research showed that such adherence positively affected successful RTS, however, withdrawal and isolation hampered adherence.…”

The Role of Sport Psychology in Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation in Junior Athletes

“…Consequently, even more relevant contributions are expected in the upcoming years. Injury prevention and rehabilitation is one of the application domains of sport psychology where there is a considerable gap between research evidence and practice [ 92 ]. What is needed are well-controlled studies demonstrating the benefits of sport psychological interventions for both athletes and coaches alike.…”

Lived experiences of patients undergoing treatment for traumatic knee injury using integrated psychological training (MOTIFS) in the context of care-as-usual training: a phenomenological interview study

“…[6][7][8] There are, however, few structured interventions aiming to improve psychological aspects of rehabilitation, 9 though the literature has called for a more thorough exploration of potential strategies. 10 We have proposed and are currently evaluating the Motor Imagery to Facilitate…”

“…Higher motivation, optimism, self-confidence and lower fear of reinjury have been suggested to increase the likelihood of successful rehabilitation outcomes, such as return to activity 6–8. There are, however, few structured interventions aiming to improve psychological aspects of rehabilitation,9 though the literature has called for a more thorough exploration of potential strategies 10…”