Psychosocial Factors and Return to Sport Outcomes in Football: a Mixed Methods Approach

Injuries are common in amateur and professional football. As such, much work has focused on understanding the return to sport process following injury. However, in this regard, research and practice have tended to focus on biological and physical factors. This is despite the belief that psychosocial factors may have a comparable prognostic influence on return to sport outcomes. Therefore, the main purpose of this thesis was to examine the psychosocial factors associated with return to sport outcomes following injury in football. To do so, four studies were conducted. Study one evaluated the current research on psychosocial factors and return to sport outcomes by systematically reviewing the empirical evidence (N = 25). Study two qualitatively explored how psychosocial factors are associated with return to sport outcomes by conducting photo-elicitation interviews with previously injured international female players (N =8). Study three examined the relationship between psychosocial factors and return to sport outcomes by collecting cross-sectional quantitative data from previously injured players (N = 150). Study four examined the same relationship but did so using a longitudinal design and previously injured male academy players (N = 68) Overall, the findings of this thesis: (1) suggest that perceived social support and re-injury anxiety are potentially important psychosocial factors that are related to return to sport outcomes; (2) enable further conceptual and contextual understanding regarding the role of perceived social support during the return to sport process; (3) provide further conceptual understanding of psychological readiness to return to sport and how this can be developed or diminished over time via its relationship with social support and re-injury anxiety; and (4) provide both amended and new frameworks that can be used for future research and practice in order to optimise return to sport outcomes following injury in football.