Britton W. Brewer

This study examined the psychometric properties of a German translation of the Athletic Identity Measurement Scales—Third Generation (AIMS-3G). We assessed its factor structure, measurement invariance across demographic and sport-related variables, associations with related constructs and external criteria, and internal consistency. Data from 285 young adults ( M _age = 23.06 years; SD = 3.49; 43.9% female, 55.8% male, 0.4% other) were analyzed. Exploratory structural equation modeling supported a five-factor model (Athletic Identity, Prominence, Self-Worth Contingency, Self-Presentation, Social Reinforcement). (Partial) strict measurement invariance was demonstrated across gender, sport context (i.e., organized vs. independent), and participation in sport competitions. Associations with related constructs and external criteria largely aligned with expectations. All factors showed at least acceptable internal consistency, with intercorrelations suggesting related but distinct dimensions of athletic identity. Additional model tests further clarify the understandingof the construct. Overall, we propose the German-language version AIMS-3G as a psychometrically sound instrument for investigating research questions on athletic identity and testing more specific hypotheses regarding its properties and processes.

This study aimed to develop and assess the feasibility of a cognitive behavioral therapy protocol integrated with virtual reality for supporting athletes undergoing rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The protocol targeted reinjury anxiety, rehabilitation adherence, self-efficacy, and kinesiophobia (fear of reinjury). It was developed in four phases, and in a fifth phase, feasibility was assessed for four athletes. Data were collected using self-report scales, electrodermal activity devices, and heart rate monitors. Due to the small sample size, descriptive analysis was employed. Descriptive pre–post patterns were consistent with the intervention targets, and electrodermal activity/heart rate data used as manipulation checks suggested that the exposure sessions elicited emotional activation as intended. Taken together, these findings indicate that the cognitive behavioral therapy plus virtual reality protocol was feasible and acceptable in this small sample and may warrant further evaluation in randomized controlled trials.

The Return to Sport After Serious Injury Questionnaire (RSSIQ) was developed to assess psychological readiness to resume sport involvement after injury. However, its applicability to Turkish-speaking athletes has not been established. Consequently, the current study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the RSSIQ for Turkish athletes. The translation and cross-cultural adaptation were conducted following established guidelines. A total of 244 athletes (80 females, 164 males) aged 18–45 who had completed rehabilitation participated. Structural validity was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), while criterion-related validity was determined by examining correlations with the Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) scale. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were evaluated. CFA confirmed the two-factor structure of the Turkish RSSIQ with acceptable fit indices (CFI = .98, RMSEA = .082). The RSSIQ correlated significantly with the ACL-RSI, supporting criterion-related validity. Internal consistency was strong (Cronbach’s α = .95 for "Return Concerns" and .84 for "Renewed Perspective"), and test-retest reliability was satisfactory. The Turkish RSSIQ demonstrated strong psychometric properties, maintaining its original structure. The adaptation process helps to ensure its applicability in Turkish rehabilitation settings, capturing cultural nuances associated with psychological readiness. The validated Turkish RSSIQ is a reliable tool for assessing psychological readiness in injured athletes who were absent from sport for at least two months due to injury. It has potential utility in clinical and research settings to enhance rehabilitation strategies. Future studies should explore longitudinal changes and intervention strategies.

Changes in athletic identity have been documented after injury and other sport transitions in nomothetic investigations. Patterns of change in athletic identity after injury have not been examined systematically at the individual level. In the current study, secondary analyses were performed on two data sets (N = 43 and N = 80) in which athletic identity values were available for before and at least six months after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. A stable pattern of athletic identity was most common (48–68% of participants), followed, respectively, by a decreasing pattern (19–45% of participants) and an increasing pattern (7–14% of participants) in both data sets, with a trend toward a decreasing pattern over time in the data set in which athletic identity values were available up to two years after surgery. Partial support was obtained for the claim that decreases in athletic identity after ACL surgery are related to postoperative perceptions of knee symptoms and function. The current intraindividual findings complement the results of nomothetic studies and suggest that although stability of athletic identity after sport injury seems to be the norm, changes in athletic identity are also common and should be considered in applied work with athletes who have sustained injuries.

Background: Identity formation, a primary developmental task of adolescence, may be particularly relevant to another commonly occurring event for young athletes—sport injury. Relationships between a subdimension of self-identity—athletic identity—and sport injury processes and outcomes have been documented in the general athlete population. The purpose of this supplemental narrative review is to explore the potential role of athletic identity in the risk of injury occurrence and responses to and consequences of injury among young athletes. Methods: Studies on athletic identity in relation to sport injury, with a focus on young athletes, were extracted from a recent scoping review and identified through an updated literature search from April 2020 through June 2024. A total of 23 studies were examined. Results: Across the studies reviewed, high levels of athletic identity were associated with a reluctance to report injury-related symptoms, a tendency to endorse attitudes and behaviors reflecting a willingness to play through pain and injury, intensified physical and psychological symptoms after injury, a disposition toward over-adhering to rehabilitation, high levels of postinjury coping skills, and better functional and return-to-sport outcomes after injury among young athletes. Conclusions: Athletic identity may, therefore, be a source of both strength and vulnerability in young athletes in terms of sport injury processes and outcomes.

Although goal setting is widely recommended for sport injury rehabilitation, little is known about the content of the goals set by athletes with injuries. Toward this end, a qualitative content analysis was performed on the goals and barriers to goal attainment identified by 163 intercollegiate student athletes (117 men and 46 women) participating in counseling interventions during sport injury rehabilitation. Most of the 956 goals set (84%) contained a physical element. A physical barrier was identified for 49% of the goals. Economic, cognitive, emotional, and social elements were noted as both goals and barriers. Goal content did not change significantly over the course of rehabilitation. Most goals were specific, process, short term, and positively phrased. The findings provide a detailed description of the types and qualities of counseling goals set by athletes during injury rehabilitation, offering professionals insight into the wide range of concerns expressed by athletes with injury during counseling.

Context: Psychological difficulties can adversely affect rehabilitation outcomes and make return to sport more difficult. Identifying psychological difficulties is possible with valid and reliable measurement tools. The purpose of this study is to translate and culturally adapt the Reinjury Anxiety Inventory (RIAI), the Sport Injury Rehabilitation Adherence Scale (SIRAS), and the Athletic Injury Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (AISEQ) into Turkish and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Turkish versions. Design: Cross‐sectional study. Methods: The instruments were forward- and back-translated, culturally adapted, and validated on 248 athletes and 34 physical therapists. The physical therapists of the athletes completed the SIRAS to evaluate the athletes. Statistical analysis included reliability tests (Cronbach alpha and test–retest), exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and correlational analysis. Floor and ceiling effects (Results: Confirmatory factor analyses revealed a satisfactory model fit for the RIAI and the AISEQ, and exploratory factor analysis revealed the 1-factor structure for the SIRAS as in the original. All 3 instruments displayed adequate internal consistency (Cronbach alpha coefficients ranged from .84 to .88) and test–retest reliability (coefficients ranged from .81 to .93). Convergent validity of the instruments was supported by significant correlations between the AISEQ and both the RIAI and the SIRAS. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the Turkish versions of the instruments were valid, consistent, and reliable in athletes who have serious injuries. Scores on these instruments could be useful for evaluating the contributions of psychological factors to return to sport following serious injuries. Clinicians are encouraged to use RIAI-Turkish (RIAI-TR), SIRAS-Turkish (SIRAS-TR), and AISEQ-Turkish (AISEQ-TR) together to make decisions about the treatment and rehabilitation plans of injured athletes.

Sport injury can be a major stressor that presents athletes with psychological and physical challenges throughout rehabilitation and return to sport (RTS). How athletes cope with the rigors they face after an injury can affect not only their mental health but also injury rehabilitation and RTS outcomes. Based on assessment of the psychosocial functioning of athletes after injury, referral to a sport psychology professional or a licensed mental health provider (e.g., clinical psychologist) for psychological assistance in coping with the challenges of rehabilitation and the return to sport may be appropriate. This chapter examines the targets and methods of psychosocial assessment during sport injury rehabilitation and outlines the process for referring athletes with injury to sport psychology professionals and licensed mental health providers. Practical suggestions for facilitating the discussion of psychosocial topics and introducing the infrequently broached prospect of psychosocial referral are also provided.