Rumination catastrophism and pain in injured athletes

Pain associated to injuries is a complex experience that combine both objective and-subjective elements and which strongly affects rehabilitation outcomes of sport injuries. It may affect directly (e.g., reducing range and strength of the movements involved in the physical therapy), or indirectly (e.g., decreasing adherence, reducing psychological readiness). Cognitive factors such as rumination and catastrophic thinking may affect the perception of pain and play a role in athletes management of pain during this journey. This study is aimed at longitudinally examine the predictive role of ruminative and catastrophism thinking in the perception of pain among injured athletes. A total of 22 injured male soccer players were recruited (Mean age = 20.3 years old; SD = .991). The assessment instruments used were ad hoc questionnaire of personal and sports-related variables; a questionnaire of current injury and sports injury history; the Pain Catastrophism Scale (PCS); the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS); and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of Pain. The results showed a significant relationship between catastrophism, ruminative responses, and the perception of pain in injured athletes. Athletes with higher levels of catastrophism and rumination consistently reported a greater perception of pain. These results highlight the importance of targeted and tailored personalized psychological interventions for pain management to improve the rehabilitation process outcomes. Addressing individual coping strategies could improve recovery outcomes and support a more effective return -to-sport process.