Psychological Interventions Can Reduce Injury Risk in Athletes: A Critically Appraised Topic

J Sport Rehabil. 2021 Sep 15:1-6. doi: 10.1123/jsr.2020-0315. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTClinical Scenario: Injury prevention programs are becoming standard practice for reducing sports-related injuries, but most programs focus on musculoskeletal elements. Psychological factors can be strong predictors of sports-related injuries and there is recent evidence that suggests psychological interventions can be effective at reducing injury risk. It is unclear if injury prevention programs that focus on psychological factors are an important inclusion for athletic trainers/therapists. Athletes can be exposed to different psychological factors based on sport type including team or individual sports, which can increase their risk of injury. While psychological interventions can reduce injuries by addressing psychological symptoms, it is unclear if the interventions are effective for at-risk athletes in addition to athletes who are not suffering from any psychological factors. Currently, there are no guidelines or recommendations for athletic trainers/therapists to address psychological factors with the purpose of injury prevention. Clinical Question: Are psychological intervention programs effective in reducing sports-related injury risk and are they clinically relevant to athletic trainers/therapists for implementation in all settings? Summary of Findings: The authors searched the literature for studies investigating the use of psychological intervention programs to reduce sports-...
Source: Journal of Sport Rehabilitation - Category: Sports Medicine Authors: Source Type: research