Intervention strategies with injured athletes: An action research study

This action research study employed a multi-modal intervention with three a thletes rehabilitating from injury. The efficacy of a number of interventio n strategies emerged, including social support, goal setting, imagery, simu lation training, and verbal persuasion. Emotional support was perceived by athletes as important when rehabilitation progress was slow, setbacks were experienced, or other life demands placed additional pressures on participa nts. Task support mainly took the form of goal setting. There was support f or the use of long-term and short-term goals, and both process and performa nce goals. The effect of outcome expectancy, rehabilitation setbacks, finan cial concerns, isolation, social comparison, and the need for goal flexibil ity emerged as salient to athletes' responses to, and rehabilitation from, injury. In the reentry phase of rehabilitation, confidence in the injured b ody part, and the ability to meet game demands was perceived by participant s as important to successful return to competition.