Psychological resilience and sports injury among athletes: a systematic review of injury incidence, recovery processes, and psychological correlates.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review synthesizing observational quantitative studies rather than randomized controlled trials.
PubMed 42226265 · doi:10.1186/s40359-026-04905-8
What was done
Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the authors searched four core databases (PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and PsycINFO) through December 31, 2025, alongside supplementary Google Scholar searches. They included peer-reviewed quantitative studies using validated resilience scales to assess injury incidence, severity, recovery, stress, or coping in athletes. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, and results were synthesized narratively.
What was found
Twelve studies comprising 3,780 athletes met inclusion criteria. The abstract reports no numerical effect sizes or statistical test values. Resilience demonstrated its strongest and most consistent relationship during post-injury recovery, where higher resilience was linked to quicker recovery trajectories, lower symptom burdens (including post-concussion syndrome), reduced injury stress, and more adaptive rehabilitation attitudes. Evidence for resilience preventing pre-injury incidence was inconsistent and methodologically limited. One study in high-intensity contact sports found that higher resilience correlated with increased injury severity. Acute-phase injury data were sparse.
Why it matters
Resilience appears to act primarily as a phase-sensitive recovery aid rather than a universal buffer against getting injured. Understanding that resilience may not reduce injury incidence—and could correlate with increased injury severity in contact sports—informs more realistic psychological screening and post-injury rehabilitation planning.
Limits
The review relies on narrative synthesis without quantitative meta-analysis, and the abstract supplies no numerical effect sizes or confidence intervals. Primary studies were observational with noted methodological flaws regarding pre-injury incidence, and very few studies evaluated the acute injury phase.
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