Overview
This lecture focuses on psychosocial factors influencing injury risk, with attention to stress, its effects, and strategies for athletic trainers to reduce injury and manage stress.
Factors Influencing Injury and Injury Risk
- Injury risk is influenced by physical, environmental, and psychosocial factors.
- Physical factors include physiological and biomechanical aspects.
- Environmental factors involve playing surfaces and protective equipment.
- Psychosocial factors relate to psychological and social influences, mainly stress.
Understanding Stress and Its Impact
- Not all stress is negative; some stress motivates and drives action.
- Distress refers to stress with negative impacts.
- The stress response involves physiological, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes.
- Physiological symptoms: increased heart rate, blood pressure, inflammation, and impaired sleep/healing.
- Cognitive symptoms: worry, intrusive thoughts, focus difficulties.
- Emotional responses: frustration, anxiety, and depressed mood.
- Behavioral outcomes: poor choices, self-medication, rehab non-adherence.
Biological Mechanisms and Athlete Health
- Stress activates the cerebral cortex, hypothalamus, and adrenal cortex, releasing cortisol.
- High cortisol is linked to chronic stress, depression, and a weaker immune system.
- Female athletes may experience higher stress due to hormonal variability.
Stress in Athletic Training Practice
- Athletic trainers face job stress and risk of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, reduced accomplishment).
- Self-care and stress identification are essential for athletic trainers to provide optimal care.
- Modeling healthy coping helps athletes and patients.
Cognitive Appraisal and Stress-Injury Relationship
- Primary appraisal: deciding if a situation is a threat or challenge.
- Secondary appraisal: evaluating resources to handle a threat.
- High stress and inadequate coping raise injury risk.
- Athletes with high trait anxiety and daily hassles are especially vulnerable.
Psychosocial Antecedents and Interventions
- Three key antecedents: personality (hardiness, optimism/pessimism), stress history, and coping resources.
- Athletic trainers should offer daily support, identify stressors, and teach coping strategies.
- Example risk factors: tight muscles, reduced focus, limited peripheral vision.
Strategies for Monitoring and Managing Stress
- Tools: Life Events Survey, Perceived Stress Scale, Stresso Meter, Stress Symptom Checklist, COPE assessment.
- Athletic trainers can prevent injury by supporting nutrition, training, prehabilitation, and safe environments.
- Stress-reducing coping strategies: relaxation, positive self-talk, thought stoppage, and social support.
Stress Management Techniques
- Relaxation: cognitive (imagery, guided scripts) and somatic (breathing, muscle relaxation).
- Positive self-talk and affirmations build confidence and resilience.
- The stress symptom checklist is useful for identifying and addressing high stress.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Distress — stress with negative consequences.
- Cognitive Appraisal — evaluating if an event is a threat or challenge.
- Burnout — emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, low accomplishment.
- Cortisol — hormone released during stress, linked to negative health effects.
- Pain-Spasm Cycle — relationship between muscle spasms and pain maintaining one another.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Assess athlete stress levels using stress surveys and checklists.
- Teach and model effective coping techniques for stress.
- Implement relaxation and positive self-talk strategies.
- Monitor personal stress and prioritize self-care for trainers.