5 Summary of Session 1

This session has provided a brief introduction to the psychological aspects of sport injury, which we will develop in the sessions that follow. It has demonstrated that while injury is commonly thought of as a physiological experience, the psychological aspects of injury are highly important.

The main learning points from this first session are:

• Sport injury is a fairly common occurrence in sport and exercise settings.
• Sport injury has a psychological component as well as a physiological component.
• The psychological aspects of sport injury can broadly be split into two categories:
  1. Psychological factors that may increase an athlete’s risk of developing an injury
  2. Psychological reactions to sport injury.

In the next session, you will examine the team around the injured person and explore the importance of a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to their support.