Investigation of the Impact of Sports, Exercise and Recreation (ser) Participation on Psychosocial Outcomes in a Population of Veterans with Disabilities Using the Sports Outcome Research Tool and Comprehensive Uniform Survey (Sportacus). A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of participation in sports, exercise and recreation (SER) on self-esteem, depression, posttraumatic growth and quality of life (QOL) in veterans with disabilities longitudinally at four time points.Design: A convenience sample of 163 individuals (91 sports-participants and 72 non-participants) matched on disability type with a variety of disabilities took part in this longitudinal study. Variables of interest were: SER participation vs. non-participation, years of SER participation since onset of disability (less than one year, one to five years, five to ten years, and more than ten years), the type of activity they engaged in (individual activities or a combination of team and individual activities) and time (pre-event, immediately post-event, one month post-event, and three months post-event). Main outcome measures were self-esteem, depression, posttraumatic growth and QOL.Results: SER participants had significantly higher self-esteem, posttraumatic growth and QOL, and significantly lower depression scores than non-participants. There were also significant differences found between the independent variables of: time, number of years participating in SER since onset of disability and type of activity engaged in and various outcome measures studied. Conclusions:The results of this study support that participation in SER has positive effects on self-esteem, depression, posttraumatic growth, and QOL.

The Inclusive Adaptive Sport Program on a College Campus: Changing the Narrative

“…The current study demonstrated that an inclusive wheelchair basketball program could provide positive psychosocial outcomes for the participants. As previously reported by Laferrier et al (2017), and reconfirmed in our study's findings, acquiring a new athletic identity and competence while engaged in a robust activity are essential elements for building an inclusive experience and a unique and cohesive community. This RT-driven inclusive adaptive sport program can offer multiple benefits to participants with and without disabilities.…”

“…Prioritizing the provision of adaptive sport experiences goes beyond benefiting students with disabilities to changing the campus culture by promoting diversity and inclusion. Adaptive sport has a positive impact on the target population's sense of belonging (May-West et al, 2018; McGinnis et al, 2020), physical wellbeing (Cote-Leclerc et al, 2017), and overall quality of life (Chun et al, 2008; Laferrier et al, 2017; Piatt et al, 2014b; Piatt et al, 2016). In addition, it can also change attitudes on campus, which benefits the whole community.…”

“…Concerning the quality of life for students with disabilities, Chun et al (2008) noted that adaptive sport participation is a significant factor in predicting such psychological domains as self-esteem, self-image, and positive attitudes. Laferrier et al (2017) stressed the importance of adaptive sports in developing the athletic identity and competence of students with disabilities. According to Piatt (2014a), such sports as wheelchair basketball can help individuals with physical disabilities identify themselves as athletes rather than merely spectators of other people's athleticism.…”

A cross-sectional study of sleep, mood, well-being, motivations, and perceived support in Ukrainian veterans and active-duty military personnel with disability, and their supporters, preparing for a sporting event

“… Peterson et al (2017) found that time spent participating in organised sporting events impacted on skills relating to performance strategy, with those who had participated for over a year demonstrating greater skills relating to self-talk, goal setting and activation prior to competition than those who had less than 1 year of experience. Similarly, Laferrier et al (2017) found that registered athletes at the NVWSC, the Warrior Games, and the NVWG, had significantly higher self-esteem scores than those not involved in sports and exercise, with this score also being significantly higher immediately following participation in a sporting event compared to 1 and 3 months after an event. Participation in sports and exercise was also associated with significantly lower scores on depression measures, and higher post-traumatic growth and quality of life scores.…”

“…These emotions may have been heightened due to the immanency of the Games at S2. Whilst participation in veteran sporting activities has been associated with psychological benefits ( Laferrier et al, 2017 ; Walter et al, 2021 ), such events have also been found to increase stress and negative emotions such as anger, and to decrease positive emotions such as excitement ( Roberts et al, 2019 ). It is notable that more respondents improved on performance-related items (e.g., concerns about doing well and disappointing others).…”