Social Support Patterns of Collegiate Athletes Before and After Injury (Original Research) (Report‪)‬

An athletic injury frequently has profound negative consequences on the physical health of a college athlete and can also cause a great deal of psychological distress, evoking anger, depression, anxiety, tension, fear, and lower self-esteem. (1,2) Mood disturbances are especially apparent among competitive athletes who are seriously injured. (1,3) Such functional loss or the inability to continue team participation can be devastating and cause difficulties in coping with the injury cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally. (4-6) A growing body of research has identified social support as an important factor in facilitating recovery from physical illness and injury. (7-11) The findings indicate that positive social support could serve as a protective factor that helps to reduce distress after an injury and improves motivation during rehabilitation. (11-15) Social support is measured as the number and quality of individuals on whom a person can rely during periods of stress. (15,16) Injured athletes may need more support than injured nonathletes during their recoveries because they may be removed from practice or play and be worried about their healing process. However, relatively little is known about the various aspects of social support in the context of athletic injury.