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A substantial quantity of research has been focusing on predictors and interventions in the sports injury prevention area. It is suggested that stress and psychosocial factors may predict sports injuries. However, many athletes remain... more
A substantial quantity of research has been focusing on predictors and interventions in the sports injury prevention area. It is suggested that stress and psychosocial factors may predict sports injuries. However, many athletes remain uninjured during their athletic careers. Consequently it is of interest to know more about the psychosocial factors that preserve athletes uninjured. More specific, the objective was to investigate differences in stress and recovery strategies among the uninjured and injured players. In total, 401 non-professional male (n=203, age m=23.8, SD=4.56) and female (n=198, age m=21.5, SD=3.81) high level floorball players in Sweden completed a questionnaire regarding stress, sleep, mood and recovery strategies before the floorball season. The teams’ medical staff reported prospectively injuries during the season. 218 of the players (n=114 males, n=104 females) remained uninjured after the season (54%). The statistical analysis showed no significant difference...
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Previous research has shown that the risk of traumatic and/or overuse injury occurring in competitive floorball is relatively high during a playing season. Most injuries occur because the athletes are exposed to a combination of extrinsic... more
Previous research has shown that the risk of traumatic and/or overuse injury occurring in competitive floorball is relatively high during a playing season. Most injuries occur because the athletes are exposed to a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic risk factors such as physiological and psychological situations. The aim of this study is to describe athletes' experience of psychosocial risk factors preceding overuse injury. A qualitative study was conducted using a semi-structured interview guide and based on nine diagnosed and presently overuse injured men in the premier league floorball in Sweden during 2010. To uncover the underlying meaning in the transcribed interviews, a thematic content analysis was used. Several themes emerged in the data. Four of the main themes were: a) players experienced pain while competing and faced difficulties to separate normal/daily pain as warnings signals of an injury, b) both key-players and other players feared losing their position duri...
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ABSTRACT Background Previous research demonstrates an injury risk of traumatic and overuse injuries in floor-ball which is one of the major sports in Sweden with 1 24 000 licensed players. One important step to prevent overuse injuries to... more
ABSTRACT Background Previous research demonstrates an injury risk of traumatic and overuse injuries in floor-ball which is one of the major sports in Sweden with 1 24 000 licensed players. One important step to prevent overuse injuries to occur is to understand its psychosocial nature. Objective The aim of this study is to describe and structure athletes' experience of psychosocial risk factors preceding overuse injury. Design Elite floor-ball players were interviewed by the first author and based on a semi-structured interview guide. To uncover the underlying meaning in the transcribed interviews, a thematic content analysis was used. Setting Team doctors and physiotherapists in the highest floor-ball leagues (women and men), were contacted and asked to make contact with overuse injured players for interviews regarding their injury. Interviews were recorded at the interviewer's office or the floor-ball arena. The interviews were transcribed verbatim. Participants were informed about the purpose and the method of the study. That participation was voluntary, that their responses would be treated confidentially and that their identities would not be revealed in the reporting of the findings. Participants Nine male and one female elite floor-ball players diagnosed with a present overuse injury were recruited for voluntary participation. Main outcome measurements Psychosocial factors experienced by elite floor-ball players preceding overuse injuries. Assessment of risk factors Assessment is conducted through qualitative analysis. Results Three main themes evolved in the analysis; a) several players experienced pain while competing. However, it is difficult to separate normal/daily pain to warnings signals of an injury, b) many players experienced a culture in the team including not talking about their first symptoms, and, c) time for mental and physical recovery was not given during the season. Conclusion Players experienced a culture where it is not acceptable to talk about non traumatic pain. Periods of rest were limited leading to a need for mental recovery.
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Cultural Challenges Working with a Gymnast and His Coach in Preparation of Olympic Qualification Tournament 2004 : A Swedish-Russian Case
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Research on rehabilitation of multiply injured athletes shows no convincing evidence that physiological factors exclusively can explain injury-proneness in sport. Neither can any single psychological factor characterize the injury-prone... more
Research on rehabilitation of multiply injured athletes shows no convincing evidence that physiological factors exclusively can explain injury-proneness in sport. Neither can any single psychological factor characterize the injury-prone athlete. Injury-proneness seems to be best explained by a complex web of extrinsic and intrinsic risk factors. The present study focused on a comparison of mental factors and coping strategies of high-level athletes with sport injuries. A psychological profile of 25 multiply injured athletes was compared to 14 first-time seriously injured athletes. Factors such as impulsiveness, risk-taking attitude, introaggression, and psychic anxiety did not differentiate multiply injured athletes from other athletes with injuries. The first-time-injured group, however, had psychological difficulties associated with long-term injuries or other serious life crises. The first-time-injured athletes tended to experience the rehabilitation period as stressful, and they...
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A content analysis of a connection between psychosocial antecedents and the occurrence of sport injury among 16 athletes
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Stefan Soderfjalls artikel i Svensk Idrottsforskning nr 1/ 2005 lyfter manga intressanta och relevanta fragor kopplat till den tillampade delen av idrottspsykologin, t ex mental traning och radgivn ...
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Psychological risk factors during rehabilitation of severely knee injured competitive male soccer players
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The aim of the study was to examine if parental support could predict elite academy participation in an adolescent football population. The participants were 767 adolescent male football players, where 443 represented an academy team and... more
The aim of the study was to examine if parental support could predict elite academy participation in an adolescent football population. The participants were 767 adolescent male football players, where 443 represented an academy team and 324 represented lower ranked teams, in age between 11 and 18. The participants were classified into three groups; a) children (11-12 years), b) youth (13-15 years) and c) junior (16-18 years). The questionnaire used was the Swedish health survey developed by the Swedish Health Institute with a number of football specific items added. Parental support was measured with six items that all measured emotional support (for example if the player experience that his parents understand, listen to, and treat him fair).One way ANOVA showed that academy players reported significant higher level of parental support then the non–academy players in children (F(1, 196)= 7,071, p = 0,008) and junior ages (F(1,194) = 10,830, p = 0,001). A logistic regression showed that parental support predicted approximately 68% of the players belonging accurate both in the children- (68,2%) and junior (67,9%) sample.The result supports previous findings showing that adaptive coping resources, such as social support seeking, could predict athletic success (Yperen, 2009). One recommendation for football clubs with youth academies is to involve parents in the social support network in order to give the players more adaptive coping resources. Further, educating parents about demands and career transitions that the players are exposed to in an elite academy could be beneficial in a developmental perspective.
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Background: According to current statistics ice hockey is ranked as a high-risk injury sport. However, recent research shows the possibility of preventing the occurrence of sport-related injury in ...
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The aim of this study was to examine the perceptions of within-career transition, as experienced by student-athletes striving to reach the international level. Interviews were used to examine the perceptions of 26 Swedish student-athletes... more
The aim of this study was to examine the perceptions of within-career transition, as experienced by student-athletes striving to reach the international level. Interviews were used to examine the perceptions of 26 Swedish student-athletes with a mean age of 22.5 years practicing individual sportsatthe national elite level, involved in a career assistance program. Categories identified through thematiccontent analysis were changes experienced in the transition, the career assistance program, resources to adjust to the new level in sport, satisfaction with their current situation, and strategies to adjust to the new level in sport. The athletes highlighted the value of interpersonal support and commitment, and recognized the need to develop further coping strategies, such as stress and time management. Practical implications for promoting successful within-career transitions are discussed.
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Summary Objectives The purpose was to conduct a systematic review of published articles aiming to prevent sports injuries based on psychological interventions and to perform a meta-analysis of the effects in such interventions. News... more
Summary Objectives The purpose was to conduct a systematic review of published articles aiming to prevent sports injuries based on psychological interventions and to perform a meta-analysis of the effects in such interventions. News Different kinds of sport injury prevention strategies have been accomplished such as neuromuscular and warm-up programs. More recently, psychological intervention studies have been completed with the purpose of preventing sports injuries. The most evident predictor is stress. Consequently, most psychological injury prevention interventions incorporate stress management and other psychological skills training. Prospect and projects The electronic databases and suitable sport psychology journals were searched for published studies. Out of 560 screened articles, 15 were potentially eligible articles. Seven of these articles, with substantial information in the papers or the authors were able to provide us with data after request, were finally included. Conclusion The result, using a random effect model, showed a total Hedges’ g effect size of 0.82 (P
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Null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) is like an immortal horse that some researchers have been trying to beat to death for over 50 years but without any success. In this article we discuss the flaws in NHST, the historical... more
Null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) is like an immortal horse that some researchers have been trying to beat to death for over 50 years but without any success. In this article we discuss the flaws in NHST, the historical background in relation to both Fisher’s and Neyman and Pearson’s statistical ideas, the common misunderstandings of what p < 05 actually means, and the 2010 APA publication manual’s clear, but most often ignored, instructions to report effect sizes and to interpret what they all mean in the real world. In addition, we discuss how Bayesian statistics can be used to overcome some of the problems with NHST. We then analyze quantitative articles published over the past three years (2012–2014) in two top-rated sport and exercise psychology journals to determine whether we have learned what we should have learned decades ago about our use and meaningful interpretations of statistics.
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An interdisciplinary project plan on Digital Innovations and Self-determined Exercise Motivation
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... Bland de preliminära resultat som analyserat framgår att de patienter som nyligen opererats för sin idrotts-skada (n=70 ... Tidigare studier har också visat att täv-lingsaktiva patienter som nyligen kors-bandsopererats (ACL) snabbare... more
... Bland de preliminära resultat som analyserat framgår att de patienter som nyligen opererats för sin idrotts-skada (n=70 ... Tidigare studier har också visat att täv-lingsaktiva patienter som nyligen kors-bandsopererats (ACL) snabbare ökar sitt situationsspecifika självförtroende ...
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The motivational influence of wearable fitness technology (WFT) on increasing physical activity (PA) is unclear, and improvements in PA have been shown to be driven by both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. In the current study, PA... more
The motivational influence of wearable fitness technology (WFT) on increasing physical activity (PA) is unclear, and improvements in PA have been shown to be driven by both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. In the current study, PA (daily number of steps), moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity, and muscular strength training were measured over 6 months on, originally, 16 randomly selected sedentary community workers (mean age = 51 years). Moreover, self-determined motivation (Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2) was measured before, midway, and after a 6-month intervention program that included motivational interviewing, as well as the use of WFT and a structured outdoor gym program. Our findings showed WFT, in combination with motivational interviewing, initially helped the participants meet recommended guidelines for PA in terms of at least 10,000 steps per day, and at least 150 min of moderate aerobic activity per week. There was a large decrease in par...
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Background The purpose of the study was to investigate if participation in a three-month electronic tracking outdoor physical activity and a motivational interviewing (MI) intervention led to positive behavioural, psychological, and... more
Background The purpose of the study was to investigate if participation in a three-month electronic tracking outdoor physical activity and a motivational interviewing (MI) intervention led to positive behavioural, psychological, and physiological outcomes. Method Based on a two-group pre-post experimental design, 12 women and 6 men were randomly assign to an experimental (mean age = 51.9 years) and an control group (mean age = 48.9 years) based on the inclusion criteria: (a) having a primarily sedentary job, (b) limited exercise activity in the past year and (c) employed within the Halmstad Municipal Council. Physical activity data were collected continuously by wrist-worn activity sensors, and pre-post data were collected on the GHQ-12, the BREQ-2, body mass, body fat mass and total body muscle. Measures of cardiovascular fitness (time to exhaustion) were also taken pre to post. The experimental group was supported through individual MI coaching sessions and individual resistance-t...
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Using a sample of student-athletes’ (N=64) first year (seventh grade) enrolled at a school with a sport profile, the aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate (a) levels and changes as regards to worry about sport performance,... more
Using a sample of student-athletes’ (N=64) first year (seventh grade) enrolled at a school with a sport profile, the aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate (a) levels and changes as regards to worry about sport performance, perception of peer climate, and perceived competence; and (b) the relationship in levels and changes between these studied variables. The primary results from latent growth models (LGMs) and parallel process LGMs revealed that, during their first year, the student-athletes’ level of worry and perceived ego-oriented peer climate increased, whereas perceived competence decreased. Further, the results showed that perceived competence was negatively associated with worry at the beginning of the students’ first year. The slope of perceived ego-oriented peer climate was positively associated with the slope of worry. Future research in relation to the findings is discussed, and recommendations for future actions are given.
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Objective:To explore the effectiveness of psychological interventions for a sample of competitive athletes with long-term injuries.Design:Modified 2-group, pretreatment and posttreatment (repeated measure).Patients:58 patients, 14 in the... more
Objective:To explore the effectiveness of psychological interventions for a sample of competitive athletes with long-term injuries.Design:Modified 2-group, pretreatment and posttreatment (repeated measure).Patients:58 patients, 14 in the experimental group and 44 in the control group.Interventions:Three intervention strategies: stress management and cognitive control, goal-setting skills, and relaxation/guided imagery.Main Outcome Measure:Mood level was used as the outcome variable.Results:The experimental group had a higher overall mood level at the midpoint and end of rehabilitation and were also feeling more ready for competition than the control group was, both as rated by themselves and by the treating physiotherapist The only strategy to show statistical differences was relaxation/guided imagery.Conclusions:The results of this study support the idea that a short-term intervention has the potential to elevate mood levels in competitive athletes with long-term injuries.
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... Mood states ... May and Brown, 1989 18Olympic alpine skiers Not told Relaxation/ imagery No Qualitative Reduced injuries, increased self ... Johnson, Ekengren, and Andersen, 2005 32Competitive soccer players Male-female Stress... more
... Mood states ... May and Brown, 1989 18Olympic alpine skiers Not told Relaxation/ imagery No Qualitative Reduced injuries, increased self ... Johnson, Ekengren, and Andersen, 2005 32Competitive soccer players Male-female Stress management, critical incidence Yes Qualitative ...
Research Interests: Psychology, Applied Psychology, Cognitive Science, Social Support, Injury Prevention, and 10 moreSport And Exercise Psychology, Prevention, Intervention, Sport and Exercise Science, Psychosocial, Risk factors, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Intervention study, Risk Factors, and Guidance and Counseling Intervention Programs
The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and one-season incidence of symptoms of common mental disorders (CMD; distress, anxiety/depression, sleep disturbance, eating disorders, adverse alcohol use) among European... more
The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and one-season incidence of symptoms of common mental disorders (CMD; distress, anxiety/depression, sleep disturbance, eating disorders, adverse alcohol use) among European professional football referees. A secondary aim was to explore the view of European professional football referees on consequences, support and needs related to these symptoms. An observational prospective cohort study with three measurements over a follow-up period of one season (2015-2016) was conducted among central or assistant professional football referees from Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Russia, Scotland and Sweden. Using validated questionnaires to assess symptoms of CMD (self-reported and not clinically diagnosed), an electronic questionnaire in English and French was set up and distributed by the eight football federations involved. A total of 391 referees (mean age of 33 years old; mean career duration of 7 years) were enrolle...
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Bridging theory and practice in sport and exercise psychology – A dynamic reserach-practitioner perspective
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Itroduction: Involvement in competitive soccer is connected with a high injury rate (Hagglund, 2007). Previous research has suggested that a psychosocial stress (both major and minor stressors) have a great impact on injury risk (Rogers... more
Itroduction: Involvement in competitive soccer is connected with a high injury rate (Hagglund, 2007). Previous research has suggested that a psychosocial stress (both major and minor stressors) have a great impact on injury risk (Rogers & Landers, 2005; Fawkner et al., 1999).Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate if individual level and change in psychosocial stress (daily hassle) during a 7 week period could predict injuries among Swedish Premiere League soccer players.Method: The participants were 56 (38 males and 18 females) Swedish Premiere League soccer players. Participants ranged in age from 16 – 36 years (M = 25, 05, SD = 5, 46). Participants completed the Hassle and Uplift Scale once a week for a 7-week period. During the research period, the physiotherapists for each team were asked to record any injuries occurring during the study period. Latent grpwth curve models were used to examine whether the level and change in psychological stress could predict the frequency of injury over the 7 week period.Result: The results showed that both high initial levels of daily hassle and negative changes in it were associated with more injuries. Moreover, intra-class correlation showed that 23,4 % of the variance in hassle over the 7 repeated observations could be explained by the within-person variance, whereas the majority of variance (76,6%) could be attributed to between-person variance.Discussion: The findings highlight the importance of focusing on state variables using prospective designs and appropriate change analysis in order to detect complex and dynamic associations across time in injury prediction research. It is also important to acknowledging and investigating individual differeces in order to understand how psychosocial stressors influence different athletes. Recommendations for players, coaches and physiotherapies are to be observant of the influence from daily hassles in order to be able to help the athlete to decrease injury risk by for example adjusting his/her training load due to psychological status.
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Psychological risk factors on rehabilitation on post-surgery and conservative rehabilitation after severe sport injury
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Introduction: The term sport psychology refers to psychological aspects of sport, physical recreation, physical education, exercise, health, and related physical activities. The European Sport Psychology Federation (FEPSAC) works for the... more
Introduction: The term sport psychology refers to psychological aspects of sport, physical recreation, physical education, exercise, health, and related physical activities. The European Sport Psychology Federation (FEPSAC) works for the development of the field of sport psychology and exercise from a European and global perspective. Due to Sport Psychology professionals’ specialised knowledge and the hypothetical potential for harm, the ethical principles are guidelines for FEPSAC professionals to act responsibly and ethically in the provision of professional services. These principles are intended to ensure the dignity and welfare of all groups, organisations and individuals with whom FEPSAC professionals may interact with and provide professional services to. Altogether seven ethical principles is stated that guides FEPSAC research and applied sport psychology. These are: a) Professional and Social Responsibility, b) Competence, c) Consent, d) Confidentiality, e) Integrity, f) Personal Conduct, g) Research. Recommendations: a) FEPSAC members are responsible for safeguarding the public and the FEPSAC from members who are deficient in ethical conduct. They should uphold professional and social standards of conduct and accept appropriate responsibility for their behaviour. b) FEPSAC members should strive to maintain the highest standards of competence in their work. c) No FEPSAC members should undertake any work without first having the informed consent of all participating clients. This is done primarily, through the client signing a document setting detailing all information relevant to the proposed investigation, intervention, treatments or test. d) FEPSAC members should preserve the confidentiality of the information acquired in their work which should not be developed without prior written consent of a client. Clients should be informed that they have a right to a copy of such information relating to them if so requested. f) FEPSAC members should promote integrity in research, teaching, and practice of sport psychology. g) FEPSAC members shall conduct themselves in a manner beneficial to the well-being of their clients and in a way that brings credit to the field of sport psychology. h) FEPSAC members should comply with codes, statements, guidelines and other directives developed. Moreover, they should accurately report the data they have gathered and the results of their research, and state clearly if any data on which the publication is based have been published previously.
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The risk of being injured while engaging in sport and exercise is statistically high. Therefore, it is important to understand the psychosocial mechanisms underlying susceptibility to injury in sport and exercise settings because of the... more
The risk of being injured while engaging in sport and exercise is statistically high. Therefore, it is important to understand the psychosocial mechanisms underlying susceptibility to injury in sport and exercise settings because of the potential to enhance well‐being at the individual level and reduce economic costs for society. Existing theoretical models of injury risk point to psychosocial antecedents, such
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Research Interests: Psychology, Sport Psychology, Health Psychology, Education, Cognitive development, and 11 moreSports Performance, Emotion Regulation, Sport And Exercise Psychology, Physical Education, Sport, Exercise Science, Strength and Conditioning, Excellence, Guidance and Counseling Intervention Programs, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences
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The purpose of the European Master’s Programme in Sport and Exercise Psychology (EMPSEP) is to pool expertise of 12 European universities within one Master’s programme (see http://www.fepsac.com/). The 60 ECTS European programme provides... more
The purpose of the European Master’s Programme in Sport and Exercise Psychology (EMPSEP) is to pool expertise of 12 European universities within one Master’s programme (see http://www.fepsac.com/). The 60 ECTS European programme provides students with advanced knowledge and skills. The EMPSEP comprises a joint intensive course, a study module similar in all the participating universities, lectures and seminars, a Master’s thesis, and a mobility period of 4-5 months at an EMPSEP host university. Ten years after the graduation of the first students the EMPSEP consortium conducted an online survey. Seventy of the invited 174 former students participated in the study (mean age 31.5 years, SD= 4.7). The aim of the survey was to discover the participants’ employment status and how their participation in the master’s program was related to this. Results indicate that 86% of the participants have started working since they completed their degree. Forty percent of those participants who have started working in their first job have managed to receive a permanent position, 27% a fixed term or temporary job, 25% a part time job, 6% are self employed and 1 person (2%) was employed by subsidies in his/ her first job after graduation. On a scale from extremely dissatisfied (1) to extremely satisfied (6), the participants rated their satisfaction with the program in relation to their career as 4.72 (SD=1.13) on average. Sixty nine of the participants felt that they had benefited from the international network provided by the students and teachers within the programme, and 94% would recommend the European Master’s program to other students in their field.