Lh. Johnston et D. Carroll, Coping, social support and injury: Changes over time and the effects of level of sports involvement, J SPORT REH, 9(4), 2000, pp. 290-303
Objectives: To examine the coping strategies used after injury and the prov
ision of and satisfaction with social support as functions of sport involve
ment and stage of rehabilitation.
Design/Patients: Complete data were available at 3 points (beginning, middl
e, and end of formal rehabilitation) for 93 patients, all of whom had susta
ined injury restricting normal functioning for at least 21 days.
Results/Conclusions. Coping varied as a function of stage in rehabilitation
, with patients deploying all strategies more at the beginning of rehabilit
ation. There was little variation in coping and social support, although th
ose more involved in sport adopted a support-seeking coping strategy to a g
reater extent. Irrespective of sports-involvement status, women were more s
atisfied with practical and emotional support. Those who were more involved
in sport were judged by their physiotherapists to be better adherents. Ado
ption of an emotional discharge coping strategy was negatively associated w
ith adherence throughout rehabilitation.