The purpose of the master's thesis was to determine the psychological factors that influence the rehabilitation of sports injuries and in what way. Furthermore, we wanted to obtain information on how sports injuries affect female and male athletes, as well as the impact of motivation and social support on the rehabilitation of sports injuries. Additionally, we aimed to gain a better understanding of the challenges that athletes face during rehabilitation and demonstrate how various stakeholders can support them.
The study involved 80 participants, specifically 40 female athletes (50 %) and 40 male athletes (50 %) from senior selections. Among them, 20 trained in soccer (50 %) and 20 trained in basketball (50 %) in the Slovenian national competitions during the 2022/2023 season. The research was conducted using a self-designed questionnaire titled ''Psychological Factors of Sports Injury Rehabilitation,'' consisting of 25 questions related to sports injuries and psychological factors in overcoming them. The collected data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics software, employing nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test, two-way chi-square test, and Spearman's correlation coefficient. Statistical significance was assessed at a 5 % level of risk (α = 0,05).
We found that female athletes experienced a greater sense of helplessness and fear during the rehabilitation of sports injuries compared to male athletes. Both genders exhibited similar levels of motivation during rehabilitation, and no differences were found in the factors that promote motivation during this period. The results showed that female athletes had greater social support during rehabilitation compared to male athletes and also had a more successful return after the rehabilitation of sports injuries. Additionally, male athletes more frequently felt a loss of trust from their coaches upon returning from rehabilitation.
This master's thesis provides insight into the psychological challenges faced by female and male athletes in the process of rehabilitating sports injuries. It also serves as a catalyst for improvements and directions, highlighting the importance of psychological influences in the field of sports.
|