In recent years, the complex relationship between athletic identity and sports injury has emerged as a critical area of interest in sports psychology and rehabilitation science. A groundbreaking systematic review and meta-aggregation led by Liu, S., Noh, YE., and Kim, J., published in BMC Psychology (2025), provides an extensive synthesis of research that delves into how athletes’ self-perception influences both the prevalence and psychological impact of sports-related injuries. This evolving discourse offers profound insights into the psychological dimensions of injury management and recovery, casting new light on how identity intertwines with physical health in the context of athletics.
Athletic identity, defined as the degree to which an individual identifies with the athlete role, has long been acknowledged as a fundamental construct in sports psychology. However, what this review underscores is the dual-edged nature of such identity—while a strong athletic identity can motivate persistence, discipline, and peak performance, it also can exacerbate vulnerability when injuries occur. The findings suggest that athletes with a more robust identification with their athletic role often experience heightened psychological distress following injury due to perceived threats to their core self-concept and social identity.
The study meticulously aggregates data from multiple quantitative and qualitative research projects across diverse sports disciplines, elucidating consistent trends. One of the most compelling revelations relates to the type and severity of the injury in shaping psychological outcomes. Severe injuries that necessitate long recovery periods amplify the identity-related stress, leading to cognitive and emotional disturbances such as anxiety, depression, and identity crisis. This psychosocial cascade often hampers the rehabilitation process, creating a vicious cycle that prolongs recovery and could potentially foster chronic psychological issues.
Furthermore, the report navigates through the nuanced mechanisms governing the interaction between athletic identity and injury outcomes. Cognitive appraisal theories in psychology are invoked to explain how athletes interpret the significance of their injury. Athletes with high athletic identity tend to appraise their injury as highly threatening, which intensifies emotional distress and leads to maladaptive responses. On the contrary, athletes with more diverse self-identities or stronger support systems demonstrate greater resilience, displaying more adaptive coping strategies that facilitate faster psychological and physical healing.
Crucially, the systematic review also integrates findings on behavioral consequences post-injury. For example, athletes heavily invested in their athletic identities often exhibit risk-prone behavior such as premature return to play, ignoring medical advice, or neglecting rehabilitation protocols. Such behaviors are driven by an urgent need to reaffirm their athletic self-concept, yet paradoxically, they increase the risk of reinjury. This underscores the importance of addressing the athlete’s identity in injury prevention programs and rehabilitation interventions.
The meta-aggregation approach adopted by Liu et al. allows for a synthesis that transcends disciplinary boundaries, combining insights from sports medicine, psychology, and rehabilitation sciences. It charts a holistic understanding of how identity processes interact with biomechanical and physiological factors influencing injury and recovery trajectories. The research notably calls for integrated therapeutic strategies that incorporate psychological support focusing on identity reconstruction and coping enhancement alongside physical rehabilitation.
Additionally, the review highlights the impact of social and cultural contexts in shaping athletic identity and injury experiences. Athletes embedded within cultures that glorify toughness and resilience in sports may conceal or downplay injury symptoms due to fear of stigma or loss of status. This social pressure exacerbates the psychological toll of injury and complicates the treatment landscape. The researchers advocate for shifting this cultural narrative to encourage openness about injury and foster environments conducive to mental and physical health.
The importance of early intervention mechanisms is another vital theme elaborated in the publication. Identifying athletes at risk of identity-related distress following injury can facilitate timely psychological support, mitigating long-term mental health consequences. Screening tools developed from the accumulated data enable coaches, trainers, and medical practitioners to better anticipate and address the intersection of identity challenges with injury rehabilitation.
Moreover, the report interrogates the long-term ramifications of sustained injury on athletic identity beyond the immediate recovery phase. In many cases, athletes may struggle to reconcile their pre-injury identity with new bodily limitations or career transitions forced by injury. This struggle can lead to identity foreclosure or crisis, diminishing overall quality of life and complicating psychosocial adjustment. The authors call for broader societal and professional frameworks that support athletes in constructing new, multifaceted identities post-injury and post-career.
Integration of technology and digital interventions appears promising in the therapeutic landscape addressed by the review. Virtual reality tools, biofeedback systems, and app-based cognitive-behavioral therapy modules are emerging as adjuncts that can promote adaptive identity reconstruction and psychological resilience during injury convalescence. Such innovations could mark a paradigm shift, moving beyond traditional physical therapy to a more biopsychosocial treatment model that holistically addresses the athlete’s experience.
Liu and colleagues also emphasize the heterogeneity among athlete populations in terms of identity processes and injury impacts. Factors such as age, gender, sport type, level of competition, and personal values intricately mediate the relationship between identity and injury outcomes. Recognizing this heterogeneity is essential for personalized interventions that respect individual differences rather than resorting to one-size-fits-all approaches.
A particularly striking dimension of the review is how it situates the athletic identity-injury dynamic within the broader psychological framework of self-concept theory. This lens clarifies why injury threatens identity so profoundly—it is not merely a physical setback but an existential challenge to the athlete’s narrative of self-worth and competence. Therapies addressing self-concept realignment, therefore, may hold the key to unlocking more effective recovery experiences.
The public health implications of this research are considerable. With millions of people involved in sports worldwide, understanding how identity factors contribute to injury experiences and recovery can inform preventative policy, educational campaigns, and clinical guidelines. Emphasizing mental health as an integral facet of sports injury management has the potential to reduce long-term disability and improve the holistic wellbeing of athletes.
Finally, the systematic review advocates for future research agendas that explore longitudinal trajectories of athletic identity transformation in the face of injury. Embracing a dynamic perspective that captures changing identity patterns over time will enrich theoretical models and optimize practical interventions. Cross-disciplinary collaborations, involving neuroscientists, psychologists, sports clinicians, and sociologists, are poised to push this frontier forward.
In sum, the comprehensive work by Liu, Noh, and Kim stands as a seminal contribution to the understanding of athletic identity in the context of injury. It paves the way for a more integrated approach blending psychological insight with physical rehabilitation, signaling a cultural and scientific shift in how athlete health is conceptualized and managed. The thirst for knowledge about the interplay of mind, body, and identity in sports has never been greater, and this research represents a pivotal chapter in this unfolding story.
Subject of Research: Athletic identity and its relationship with sport injury, focusing on psychological distress, coping mechanisms, and rehabilitation outcomes.
Article Title: Athletic identity and sport injury: a systematic review and meta-aggregation.
Article References:
Liu, S., Noh, YE. & Kim, J. Athletic identity and sport injury: a systematic review and meta-aggregation. BMC Psychol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03902-7
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