Cognitive Appraisals and Lived Experiences During Injury Rehabilitation: A Narrative Account Within Personal and Situational Backdrop

BACKGROUND: The article highlights an athlete’s cognitive appraisals form the onset to return to play. The narrative provides how an athlete constructs a sense of self within personal and situational factors and describes the subjective experiences during rehabilitation OBJECTIVES: The study examined the cognitive appraisal and psychological response within the backdrop of personal and situational factors in an injured athlete. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study is contextualized within the injury rehabilitation experiences of a cycling national athlete aged about 18 years old who was presented with the complaint of right shoulder pain, following a right shoulder dislocation. The 22 page narrative account provided by the athlete offered a holistic and integrated account of his experiences from the onset to return to play. A six step narrative analysis was analyzed by two qualified psychologists and two medical practitioners. RESULTS: The themes are extracted to understand what was important to the participant. The cognitive appraisal and lived experiences are discussed within three dominant themes: 1) Injury and consequences in sporting life. 2) Childhood experiences, emotions, social support. 3) Trusting relationship, behavioral outcome and hopeful future. The study indicates the influence of personal and situational factors in cognitive appraisals leading to emotional and behavioral responses during rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates how individual experiences become a dynamic core of psychological response during injury rehabilitation. The study highlights the cognitive appraisals and, emotional upheaval to provide an understanding of how personal and situational factors affect the psychological responses of an injured athlete. Findings suggest the need to develop a holistic approach as an effective strategy in injury rehabilitation.