Understanding Sports Injuries as Trauma: A Call to Action

BACKGROUND: Nearly one million young adults experienced sports injuries in 2023, with almost half of collegiate athletes unable to play for one or more days due to sports injuries each year. RESULTS: Sports injuries result in a trauma to the body often from a force of impact, including musculoskeletal injuries and traumatic brain injuries. Sports injuries, including those among youth, may also constitute emotional trauma that in turn increases the risk of mental health conditions. Likewise, if individuals are exposed to prescribed opioids to alleviate injury-related pain, this may also increase their risk of opioid misuse and opioid use disorder. To understand the enduring effects of sports injuries, this article applies a framework combining concepts from social cognitive theory and the developmental psychopathology model. CONCLUSION: Ultimately, we call for action: assessing trauma symptoms during the physical assessment and recovery phases to identify and address trauma and prevent or mitigate the development of mental health and/or substance use disorders, as well as reducing the stigma surrounding disclosure of mental health or substance use issues when they arise and advocating for policies that support athletes' mental health.