Pownall, Emma

An athlete's psychological response to a sports-related concussion may influence thesuccess of recovery and return to play. This exploratory study explored how athletes psychologically respond to concussion, using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to examine the role of psychological flexibility in recovery and return to play. Thirty athletes who experienced a concussion in the past three months completed online surveys measuring symptom severity, sport confidence, psychological strain, anxiety, depression, and psychological flexibility. Depression significantly predicted symptom severity (β = .615, p = .015). Psychological flexibility improved from pre- to post-return to play (p = 0.032, d = 0.45) and was correlated with greater confidence (pre: r = –0.451; post: r = – 0.577) and lower psychological strain (r = 0.471). These findings suggest that increasing psychological flexibility may enhance recovery by reducing distress and building confidence. Return-to-play protocols should include psychological recovery measures.

Author Keywords: Concussion, Injury Recovery, Psychological Flexibility, Return to Play