Psychological stress, performance, and injury in sport

This paper reviews the empirical literature on psychological stress in sport, and the effects that such stress may have upon performance, vulnerability to injury, and rehabilitation from injury. It also examines the strategies that sports performers could use to overcome these effects. The major sources of stress that have been reported by sports performers include fear of failure, concerns about social evaluation by others (particularly the coach), lack of readiness to perform, and loss of internal control over one's environment. Various models and theories of the effects of such stress upon performance and vulnerability to injury are reviewed, including multidimensional anxiety theory and a catastrophe model of anxiety and performance. The cognitive and physiological processes which are thought to underly these effects are also reviewed, together with the intervention strategies that are implied by these processes. Research on the psychological stress that appears to be experienced by performers when they are injured is very limited. However, that which is available suggests that many of the same psychological skills that are thought to enhance performance can also be used to reduce the risk of injury, and promote a speedy recovery from injury. These include goal-setting, imagery, self-talk, and relaxation skills.