Psychological responses of elite young riders to the injury of their horses

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-198
Author(s):  
E. Davies ◽  
J. Ennis ◽  
R. Collins
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Personal Injury ◽  
Psychological Responses ◽  
Risk Environment ◽  
Risk Of Injury ◽  
Equestrian Sport ◽  
Show Jumping

Sport is considered a high-risk environment for athletes sustaining injury. Athletes are known to experience negative psychological responses to injury, which can destabilise identity. For athletes, identity is typically constructed around participation in sport, and after injury this identity can be threatened. Within equestrian sport, the addition of a partner athlete also at risk of injury presented a unique circumstance for investigation. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the psychological responses of elite young riders (YR) to the injury of their horses. Five riders competing internationally at YR level for dressage, show jumping and eventing were interviewed about their experiences when their horse suffered serious or career-ending injuries. Interview questions explored athletes’ careers, initial reactions to injury, coping mechanisms and return to elite competition. Thematic analysis revealed that riders re-evaluated their identity as elite athletes and experienced a significant sense of loss when their horses became injured. This appraisal of loss led to YR’s experiencing denial and guilt at the onset of injury akin to personal injury in athletes. As riders perceive the horse as part of the ‘athlete’ package, they are at heightened risk of injury-related psychological stress when compared to other individual athletes. Riders reported mixed views on common sources of social support, suggesting a need for pre-emptive coping education in addition to intervention resources within equestrian sport to minimise the psychological impact of injury, particularly at YR level.

The psychological responses of amateur riders to their horses’ injuries

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Davies ◽  
S. James
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Sport Injury ◽  
Psychological Responses ◽  
Risk Environment ◽  
Psychological Response ◽  
Time Commitment ◽  
Time Investment ◽  
Equestrian Sport ◽  
Horse Owners

Equestrian sport is considered a high-risk environment for equine injury. Due to the close bond between horse and rider, it could be theorised that riders may be impacted psychologically by their horses’ injuries, as seen in athletic pairs and with companion animal ownership. The extensive time commitment and responsibility of care within equestrian sport means that horse riders’ day-to-day life is impacted in a way not seen in other sporting or leisure environments, thus providing a unique opportunity to investigate the psychological responses of riders to their horse’s injury. The aims of this study were to investigate the psychological responses that amateur riders experienced when their horses were injured. 308 amateur horse riders (16 male and 292 female, median age 25-30 category) completed the Psychological Response to Sport Injury Inventory (19-item) (PRSII) and questions regarding demographics, investment in equestrian sport, the horse’s injury and the length of rehabilitation. Devastation was significantly affected by the weekly time investment of riders (H(3)=8.255, P=0.041) and the length of ownership prior to the injury (H(2)=7.690, P=0.021). ‘Devastation’, ‘feeling cheated’, ‘restlessness’ and ‘isolation’ were all significantly affected by the length of rehabilitation for the horse (H(7)=70.825, P=0.000, H(7)=37.799, P=0.000, H(7)=37.799, P=0.004, and H(7)=27.486, P=0.000, respectively). These findings suggest that amateur horse riders are at risk of psychological distress when their horse becomes injured. Whilst the industry has developed strategies to support owners following euthanasia which are already in place, psychological support following horse injury may be necessary to buffer psychological ‘devastation’ within amateur horse owners.

Walking on Thin Ice: How and Why Frontline Officers Cope With Managerialism, Accountability, and Risk in Probation Services

2020 ◽  
pp. 009539972097089
Author(s):  
Mathias Sabbe ◽  
Nathalie Schiffino ◽  
Stéphane Moyson
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
General Public ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Probation Officers ◽  
Risk Environment ◽  
The Public ◽  
Risk Environments ◽  
Political Backlash ◽  
High Risk Environments

Probation officers (POs) operate in a high-risk environment. They are vulnerable to mediatic and political backlash and are confronted with managerial innovations that can conflict with their values. A thematic analysis of 29 interviews with Belgian POs reveals that classical coping mechanisms caused by time shortages, such as rationing and prioritization, are amplified by managerialism. POs also break rules which present limited meaningfulness and routinize offender control to alleviate pressure from accountabilities to both managers and the general public. The study demonstrates that managerialism and accountabilities to the managers, the public, and the politicians model coping mechanisms in high-risk environments.

scholarly journals Potentially Prolonged Psychological Distress from Postponed Olympic and Paralympic Games during COVID-19—Career Uncertainty in Elite Athletes

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Anders Håkansson ◽  
Karin Moesch ◽  
Caroline Jönsson ◽  
Göran Kenttä
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Sporting Events ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
Career Uncertainty ◽  
Paralympic Games

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on the world of sports due to periods of home quarantine, bans against public gatherings, travel restrictions, and a large number of postponed or canceled major sporting events. The literature hitherto is sparse, but early indications display signs of psychological impact on elite athletes due to the pandemic. However, beyond acute effects from lockdown and short-term interrupted athletic seasons, the postponed and still uncertain Olympic and Paralympic Games may represent a major career insecurity to many athletes world-wide, and may lead to severe changes to everyday lives and potentially prolonged psychological distress. Given the long-term perspective of these changes, researchers and stakeholders should address mental health and long-term job insecurity in athletes, including a specific focus on those with small financial margins, such as many female athletes, parasports athletes, athletes in smaller sports, and athletes from developing countries. Implications and the need for research are discussed.

A retrospective investigation of the impact of ‘eventing phase (dressage, show-jumping and cross-country)’ on pre-competition anxiety and self-confidence

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 269-281
Author(s):  
S. McGinn ◽  
D. Alcock ◽  
L.J. Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Tension ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Competitive Anxiety ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Equestrian Sports ◽  
Within Subjects ◽  
Equestrian Sport ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Show Jumping ◽  
The Impact

Working in the discipline of eventing (the triathlon of equestrian sport), the present study aims to extend current literature on the use of psychological skills within equestrian sports, by understanding and identifying differences in levels of self-confidence and competitive anxiety. Each eventing phase (dressage, show-jumping and cross-country) was considered and its impact on anxiety and self-confidence analysed. Level of competition was considered a covariate and its effect on specific eventing phases and any associated influence on anxiety and self-confidence within eventing phase was analysed. An experimental, 3×3 factorial, within-subjects design was used. 57 participants (52 female and 5 male; 18 professional, 36 amateur and 3 undefined) completed the Revised Competitive Sport Anxiety Inventory 2 (CSAI-2R), a 17-item questionnaire measuring anxiety and self-confidence. Descriptive statistics identified the show-jumping phase had the largest impact on rider somatic anxiety (SA) and cognitive anxiety (CA). The cross-country phase had the highest self-confidence mean score. Spearman’s rank correlations showed both SA and CA were debilitative for all competition levels. Both SA and CA were found to be more debilitating in the show-jumping phase when self-confidence was low. MANCOVA analysis showed that eventing phase had significant effect on anxiety and self-confidence when controlling for level of competition. Dependent on the eventing phase riders are competing in, they experience different levels of arousal and self-confidence. When SA and CA are a debilitative source of anxiety, this could result in rider muscle tension which is not conducive to effective horse-rider communication. Coaches or sports psychologists should consider how to help riders manage their anxiety levels in relation to the competition phase, with the intention of enhancing self-confidence and enabling facilitative SA and CA in preparation for eventing performance.

scholarly journals Effects of body protection vests and experience levels in prevention of equestrian injuries

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. e000426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah A Andres ◽  
Adrienne M Bushau-Sprinkle ◽  
Michael E Brier ◽  
Yvette R Seger
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Safety Equipment ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Experience Levels ◽  
Equestrian Sports ◽  
Risk Of Injury ◽  
Report Data ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Serious Injuries ◽  
Show Jumping

ObjectivesTo investigate the risk reduction and benefit of wearing body protection/safety vests in equestrian sports.MethodsA comparison of equestrians wearing body protective vests and those not wearing vests was performed using incident report data of 718 participants in the United States Pony Clubs during 2011–2017. Data obtained included age, gender, certification level of member, type of activity, description of incident, description of injuries, what protective equipment was worn and other possible contributing factors.ResultsWhile wearing body protective vests when riding on the flat or for show jumping was not correlated with a decrease in injuries, wearing vests for cross country was correlated with decrease in reported injuries (p=0.036) and showed a trend towards a lower incident severity level (p=0.062). Wearing body protection during cross country reduced the relative risk of injury by 56%. While the volume of incidents varied with a rider’s experience level, the number of serious injuries did not appear to correlate with lesser equestrian experience.ConclusionsWhile equestrian sports are considered to have a certain degree of risk associated with them, there are ways to make them safer. Wearing safety equipment, such as helmets and body protection, and obtaining education and experience can lessen the chance of incurring serious injuries.

scholarly journals Muscle Strength Variations of Knee Joint Muscles in Elite Female Handball Players after Pre-Season Conditioning

2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuzana Gonosova ◽  
Petr Stastny ◽  
Jan Belka ◽  
Lucia Bizovska ◽  
Michal Lehnert
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Strength ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Peak Torque ◽  
Knee Extension ◽  
Training Process ◽  
Strength Performance ◽  
Risk Of Injury ◽  
Previous Season ◽  
Isokinetic Peak Torque

Abstract Monitoring seasonal variations in strength performance and the relative risk of injury indicators related to strength of hamstring (H) and quadriceps (Q) in female elite athletes is beneficial for the training process. The aim of this study was to examine and compare the level of muscle strength, the conventional ratio (HCONC/QCONC) as well as two functional and strength ratios reflecting the movement of knee extension (HECC/QCONC) and flexion (HCONC/QECC), and the bilateral percentage strength deficit (BSD) in elite female handball players. The concentric and eccentric isokinetic peak torque was measured at an angular velocity of 60°/s on three occasions (in-season cessation, 4 weeks of rest followed by 4 weeks of individual conditioning and 6 weeks of group conditioning) in eleven female handball players (age: 23.1 ± 3.5 years, body height: 1.73 ± 0.6 m). According to ANOVA results, the BSD of H muscles in the concentric mode decreased between the in-season cessation and the end of the pre-season, and HCONC/QCONC increased at the beginning of the pre-season and at the end of the pre-season in comparison with inseason cessation measurement. The effect size analyses showed that the off-season rest followed by 10 weeks of the conditioning programme increased Q and H strength in comparison with the previous season with a large effect. Coaches should include progressive conditioning in the pre-season phase to decrease the bilateral strength deficit and to support further conditioning development.

Infographic: Elite athletes’ anxiety over illness ups risk of injury in competition

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (15) ◽  
pp. 955-955
Author(s):  
Toomas Timpka ◽  
Victor Bargoria ◽  
Karin Halje ◽  
Jenny Jacobsson
Keyword(s):  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Risk Of Injury

A narrative review of the risk factors and psychological consequences of injury in horseracing stable staff

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
E. Davies ◽  
W. McConn-Palfreyman ◽  
J.M. Williams ◽  
G.P. Lovell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Injury Risk ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Narrative Review ◽  
Drug Misuse ◽  
Psychological Responses ◽  
Social Stressors ◽  
Risk Of Injury

Horseracing stable staff have a multifaceted role, acting as care givers, skilled athletes and equine experts, resulting in inherent high emotional, physical and mental demands. Despite these demands, and reports of significant injury risk to those working in racing at ground level, there has been no research investigating the psychological risk factors for injury in UK racing stable staff and how psychological responses to injury may affect long term mental health and wellbeing. With mental health at the forefront of industry consideration, this narrative review aimed to reflect on the current literature to propose occupational, life and social stressors that may be increasing the risk of injury in racing staff. In addition, this review aims to apply current injury theory to propose whether stable staff are at heightened risk of injury mismanagement. A literature search was undertaken to investigate the psychological aspects of injury, using five search engines and the following key words: injury, psychological responses, occupational, sport and/or athlete, equestrian, horseracing, jockey, risk of injury, rehabilitation, and injury minimisalisation. Articles were selected based on relevance to review aims, and research findings were synthesised under two primary areas: predictors of injury (working hours, job security, job control, life stressors, mental health and drug misuse) and responses to injury (positive and negative responses to injury, the role of social support, rehabilitation adherence, and injury minimalisation). Whilst there are limitations to narrative reviews, this study provides a novel interpretation of injury risk and responses specific to staff working in horseracing, where injury-related challenges are currently a key focus for sector employees, managerial staff and racing organisations. Recommendations for further research have been made to direct the advancement of knowledge in the field.

314 Alcohol and the Sleep of Elite Athletes

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A125-A125
Author(s):  
Lindsay Shaw ◽  
Yuval Altman ◽  
Shuli Eyal ◽  
Anda Baharav
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Physiological Effect ◽  
Insufficient Sleep ◽  
Risk Of Injury ◽  
Sleep Parameters ◽  
Psychological Influence ◽  
And Performance

Abstract Introduction Extensive evidence indicates that alcohol adversely affects athletic performance, increases the chance of injury, impairs aerobic metabolism, and has detrimental psychological influence. Alcohol consumption was also shown to be significant in young adults, with many elite athletes reporting alcohol intake. Sleep is essential to musculoskeletal recovery, acquisition of new skills, and emotional regulation in athletes. As insufficient sleep has detrimental effects on athletic performances and increases the risk of injury, we aimed to analyze the relation between alcohol consumption and sleep parameters among elite athletes. Methods We studied 9,164 nights recorded with the Boost application by 66 adult elite athletes from various sports during October 2019-December 2020. In addition to perceived and measured sleep parameters, nightly data included the previous day reported alcohol consumption and the number of training sessions. For each athlete, the average nightly mean heart rate (HR) in nights with reported alcohol consumption (AY) and without (AN) was calculated, as were the bedtime and the number of training sessions. Results In nights with reported alcohol, mean HR was higher (AY: 56.1±7.8 BPM, mean±SD, AN: 52.9±7.3 BPM, p<.05), while bedtime was later (AY: 23:16±70 minutes, AN: 22:52±55 minutes, p<.05) and fewer training sessions were reported in the following day (AY: 0.88±0.59 sessions, AN: 1.1±0.59 sessions, p<.05). No correlation was found between mean HR and bedtime in nights without alcohol consumption (r=0.3). 24% of Saturday night recordings included alcohol consumption reports, with 16% of Friday nights and 12–13% for each of the remaining weeknights. Conclusion Adult elite athletes report consuming alcohol, especially during weekends when the probability for a training session the following day is lower. Our data support the well documented physiological effect of alcohol via elevated mean HR values throughout the night. Athletes and coaches should be educated about the impacts of alcohol and insufficient sleep on wellbeing and performance. Support (if any):

Processing Intensive Care Unit Treatment Experiences: A Thematic Analysis of a Diary Intervention

2021 ◽  
pp. 104973232110554
Author(s):  
George Zisopoulos ◽  
Sofia Triliva ◽  
Pagona Roussi
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Sense Making ◽  
Intensive Care Unit Treatment ◽  
Written Narratives ◽  
Interpersonal Support ◽  
Proximity To Death ◽  
Inductive Thematic Analysis

Survivors of the intensive care unit (ICU) report an aggregate of burdensome memories. ICU diaries have been proposed to address the psychological impact of ICU treatment. Twenty-six participants wrote about their ICU experiences in three successive sessions, while in the second session, they were presented with a dairy derived from their medical records. Using inductive thematic analysis in the first and third narratives, we explore how participants initially describe their ICU experience and how they process it after the intervention. Participants described a martyrdom experience, including being emotionally distressed, disorientated, and physically trapped that provoked a quest for any available interpersonal support. A vacuum-like state permeated their existence, impacted their sense-making ability, and the proximity to death uniquely characterized this experience. After intervention, participants made small but significant changes in their written narratives. They appeared to reorganize their recollections, reestablish self-continuity by integrating their ICU experiences, and authored restitution narratives.

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