Effects of a career-ending injury on an elite athlete's self-concept and psychological distress

Limited research has examined career-ending injuries. A majority of the research have focused on either dealing with injury or the multiple causes of career termination an athlete experiences. This study was concerned with how the transition resulting from a career-ending injury impacts an athlete's level of psychological distress and his or her self-concept. More specifically, athletes experience stages of recovery that include (a) the onset of injury, (b) the day a medical professional tells them the injury is career ending, and (c) the 9 to 15 months postinjury. Quantitative measures were administered and analyzed. The results indicated healthy athletes and previously injured athletes have comparable self-concept scores 9 to 15 months postinjury. Thus, it appears that the onset of an injury reduced the injured athlete's self-concept and raised levels of psychological distress for a short period of time. However, within 9 to 15 months, athletes returned to a preinjury state with regard to their total self-concept and level of psychological distress. As a result, this research agrees that an injury can be emotionally and cognitively demanding. When an athlete is confronted with a career-ending injury, his or her level of psychological distress will increase, and there will be a decrease in his or her self-concept. Yet, these reactions will subside after 9 to 15 months.