The psychosocial benefits of participating in sports have long been appreciated. However, athletes are often faced with circumstances that make them susceptible to psychological challenges unique to the athletic population. One such circumstance is injury in sport, which can be a source of notable distress and may precipitate the emergence of new or exacerbation of underlying psychological disorders. In athletes who are injured, particularly those undergoing surgical intervention, psychological factors play a substantial role in the recovery process. A more comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay between psychological and physical health in the setting of an injury is essential to optimize patient care. The aim of this review was to highlight the impact of psychological factors on measurable outcomes after orthopaedic surgical interventions and to explore interventions that can be implemented to improve surgical outcomes and the overall care of injured athletes.

Past injuries may influence current hip pain and function in young female dancers. Correlation determination (r) indicated that 37% of current pain and function scores were explained by total past injuries in a small group of young high-level ballet dancers. Further research should engage a prospective design to investigate the predictive ability of findings.

Psychological resilience is an important construct that can enhance athletic performance and foster valuable life skills. Through positive adaptation to adversity and stressors in the athletic arena, athletes are able to cultivate their ability to effectively respond to negative stimuli, ultimately evolving to personal growth. For young female athletes, development of resilience may be particularly important. Young female athletes face distinct challenges in sport including sport inequity, body image issues, eating disorders, increased mental distress, and internalization of emotions. The aim of this review is to define and describe the construct of resilience and discuss the implications and applications relevant to young female athletes. By understanding how to foster resilience strategies in this population, we can enhance sport performance and enjoyment, as well as bolster valuable life skills that facilitate personal growth.

No abstract

AIMS: Young dancers are likely to revolve their entire identity around dance, and there is the potential risk for disruption to their identity and psychological upset upon change of status or loss of dance following high school. The objective of our study was to systematically review the current literature examining psychological implications, athletic identity, and career transitions for young dancers. METHODS: A systematic review was performed covering the last 30 years of dance-related literature (1987–2017) through PubMed and EBSCOhost. To be included, the following criteria had to be met: 1) dancers’ ages were between 14–22 years, 2) dancers’ training experience was documented and its duration was at least 5 years, and 3) information regarding career transition including available resources, athletic identity, or psychological impact was stated. All statements, documentation, and information related to dancer career transition and choice, including psychological impact, athletic identity, and available resources, were extracted. Quality assessment and level of evidence plans were set a priori. RESULTS: Four publications were found as a result of the systematic review; however, no study met all three of our inclusion criteria. CONCLUSIONS: No formal research exists that focuses on career transition for young dancers. More studies are needed that focus on the psychological and physical implications of career decisions for dancers in order to guide healthy decisions when transitioning out of high school into a career path.

Background: Psychological skills training has been shown to improve performance in athletes. However, few studies have looked at the efficacy of mental skills training programs in young athletes. Hypothesis/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate satisfaction of collegiate athletes with a 6-session mental skills course, and to assess changes in mental toughness and coping skills before and after the course. Methods: We conducted a 6-session mental skills training program with Division I female collegiate athletes during the fall of 2020. Athletes completed pre-course, post-course, and 4-month questionnaires to assess efficacy of the course, as well as their satisfaction. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, none of the athletes were actively competing at the time of the course or during follow-up surveys. Demographic information was collected and the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI, range=0-84) and Mental Toughness Inventory (MTI, range=8-56) were used to assess coping skills and mental toughness at all time points. Satisfaction was assessed on a ten-point scale, with 10 being most satisfied. Results: Fifty-four Division I female athletes participated in the program. Mean age was 19.8 years, 61% reported training in their sport for 8 or more months a year, 26% reported history of mental health conditions, and 22% reported being injured or recovering from injury at the time of participation. For participants with paired pre- and post-course data (n=37, 68.5%), MTI scores improved by a mean 2.6 points (95% CI=1.1-4.1; p=0.001) and ASCI scores improved by a mean 4.0 points (95% CI=0.6-7.4; p=0.02) from pre- to post-course. For participants with paired data for pre-course and four-month follow-up (n=25, 46.2%), no change was detected in mean MTI score (p=0.72). There was, however, a mean increase of 3.4 points in mean ASCI from pre-course to four-month follow-up (95% CI=0.4-6.4; p=0.03). Overall satisfaction had a median score of 9/10 at the post-course assessment, and eighteen participants (18/37, 48.6%) shared positive free-text comments regarding course delivery, content, and impact. No negative feedback was reported. Conclusion: Following a 6-session mental skills course in collegiate female athletes, mental toughness and coping skills scores significantly improved at post-course assessment. Athletes reported being highly satisfied with the content of the course and reported overall positive experiences. [Figure: see text]

Within college athletics athletes experience many stressors that can lead to mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression. Previous studies have shown that student athletes report higher levels of stress compared to a non-athletes PURPOSE: To compare stress levels and coping strategies among Division II collegiate athletes. METHODS: Subjects were NCAA Division II student athletes at East Stroudsburg University. Prior to the start of each season, subjects were briefed on the survey and told that they will receive it within a week of the end of competitive season. The survey link was dispersed via email from their head athletic coaches; the survey was completed using Google Forms. The survey included demographic information, a perceived stress questionnaire, and a question regarding coping strategies. Data is reported as mean±SD. Data was analyzed using paired-sample t-tests. Significance was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: Subjects included individual sport athletes (n=46; cross-country, swimming, track and field) and team sport athletes (n=25; baseball and lacrosse), both male (n=29) and female (n=42). Perceived stress was significantly higher in females (17.76±7.1) compared to males (13.24±5.8, p<0.001). Females (57%) were more likely than males (42%) to use venting as a coping mechanism, trending toward significance (p=0.06). There were no differences between males and females use of disengagement (29% vs 25%; p=0.45) , denial (5% vs 0%, p=0.16), turning to religion (14% vs 33%, p=0.19), suppression activities (29% vs 42%, p=0.61), planning (45% vs 38%, p=0.23), emotion-focused activities (26 vs. 21%, p=0.34) or acceptance (43% vs 63%, p=0.47). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate female athletes have higher levels of perceived stress compared to male athletes. Further, females may use venting as a coping mechanism more frequently than males. It doesn't appear that the likelihood of using other coping techniques differs between males and females.