Hailey A. Chatterton

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.

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.