PhD, Associate Professor V.P. Kartashev¹
PhD, Associate Professor A.V. Goltsov¹
O.S. Ivanova¹
M.S. Semiryazhko^1
1Russian State Social University, Moscow

Corresponding author: kvpmos@mail.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to analyze individual post-disabling-severe-physical-injuries adaptabilities of athletes and test benefits of a new physical self-image improvement model.

Methods and structure of the study. We sampled for the study the 18-38 year-old athletes (n=120, including 80 males and 40 females) with severe disabling musculoskeletal injuries. We have developed a psychological service model with integrated rehabilitation elements to help form positive physical self-images for the individual adaptability mobilizing and rehabilitation purposes. The new model testing experiment was run at Maryino and Krylatskoye Therapeutic/ Rehabilitation Centers.

We tested the individual physical self-image and adaptive conditions in the EG and RG in the physical self-image excelling model testing experiment. Both the men and women groups were tested with denial as a psychological defense mechanism used to mitigate the disabling factors and stressors – correlated at the same time with the physical self-image distortions (r = 0.412, p <0.01). The individual corporeality perceptions were also found distorted by the acute need for recognition, self-pity and egocentrism, with the anatomical aspects being often exaggerated (r = 0.343, p <0.01) to merge as much as possible the real/ mirror physical self with the ideal physical self-image (r = 0.505, p <0.01).

The women group was tested with the close positive correlation between the denial test rates and social aspects of the physical self-image (r = 0.401, p <0.01); with the ‘repressive’ psychological defense mechanism found to distort the physical self-image towards perceived hypertrophied non- attractiveness (r = 0.397, p <0.01); versus the rationalization psychological defense that secures the physical self-image evolving towards adequacy (r = 0.614, p <0.01) [7]. These findings once again verify the known correlations of the physical self-image in post-disabling-severe-physical-injuries periods with the individual psychological defense mechanisms.

Results and conclusion. The study demonstrated benefits of the psychological service model facilitating positive physical self imaging for the adaptability mobilizing and fast rehabilitation of athletes in the post-disabling-injury periods.

Keywords: psychological adaptation, athlete, severe physical injury, athlete’s adaptability, physical self-image.

Background. Modern sports medicine gives a special attention to integrated rehabilitation methods to facilitate recovery after severe musculoskeletal injuries [2] with contributions from experts in every scientific field. The post-musculoskeletal-injury adaptation process as such is being studied mostly by the medical science on the whole with some aspects analyzed by psychology. At the same time, mental stressors and complications associated with severe physical injuries have been thoroughly analyzed by the national and foreign psychology (S. Auerbach, D. Bright, B. Goldstone, S. Gramming, J. Greenberg, F. Jones, WB Kennon, G. Selye et al.), with some studies giving a special priority to the post-injury mental conditions methods for senior and adolescent groups. However, correlations of the integral physical Self image with adaptation in cases of disabling severe physical injuries and somatic diseases are still underexplored in many aspects by the modern psychology and deserve special analyses.

The disabling severe physical injuries as such will undoubtedly be ranked among the extreme stressors, with the individual stress tolerance dependent on both adaptability and past traumatizing experience. These factors largely determine the situation-specific adaptability with its volitional and unconscious stress coping strategies collectively referred to as the individual adaptation and resulting adaptive conditions ranked among the personality resource components.

As far as the structure and content of a physical self-image are concerned, they may be interpreted as the unity of cognitive (referring to the physical/ bodily awareness and self-perception adjusted for its distortion by consciousness to a degree), affective (attitudes to physical ыelf, including stresses from its non-conformity with the social and perceived individual/ external physical perfection standards) and behavioral (with the ways to present own Self to others) components.

Contents of the above components may vary with distortions in cognitive, attitudes-specific (affective) and operational/ behavioral aspects of the physical Self caused by the individual anxiety about the following three key physical self components: anatomical (mismatches with imaginary ideal bodily proportions), functional (physical personality qualities) and image-related (body presentation) characteristics. In the psychological framework, they may be interpreted as the correlation of the actual physical Self with its ideal shape and content, plus the physical self apprehension in the past, present and future [8].

It should be also mentioned that the modern psychological literature makes no clear distinction between the physical and bodily Selves, although at the same time it is quite common to separate to a degree the physical/ bodily Self image with its dominant perceptive aspect from the corporal/ physical Self as such that refers not only to the perceptions but also to feelings triggered by such reflections [ 7].

Objective of the study was to analyze individual post-disabling-severe-physical-injuries adaptabilities of athletes and test benefits of a new physical self-image improvement model.

Methods and structure of the study. We sampled for the study the 18-38 year-old athletes (n=120, including 80 males and 40 females) with severe disabling musculoskeletal injuries. We have developed a psychological service model with integrated rehabilitation elements to help form positive physical self-images for the individual adaptability mobilizing and rehabilitation purposes. The new model testing experiment was run at Maryino and Krylatskoye Therapeutic/ Rehabilitation Centers.

We tested the individual physical self-image and adaptive conditions in the EG and RG in the physical self-image excelling model testing experiment. Both the men and women groups were tested with denial as a psychological defense mechanism used to mitigate the disabling factors and stressors – correlated at the same time with the physical self-image distortions (r = 0.412, p <0.01). The individual corporeality perceptions were also found distorted by the acute need for recognition, self-pity and egocentrism, with the anatomical aspects being often exaggerated (r = 0.343, p <0.01) to merge as much as possible the real/ mirror physical self with the ideal physical self-image (r = 0.505, p <0.01).

The women group was tested with the close positive correlation between the denial test rates and social aspects of the physical self-image (r = 0.401, p <0.01); with the ‘repressive’ psychological defense mechanism found to distort the physical self-image towards perceived hypertrophied non- attractiveness (r = 0.397, p <0.01); versus the rationalization psychological defense that secures the physical self-image evolving towards adequacy (r = 0.614, p <0.01) [7]. These findings once again verify the known correlations of the physical self-image in post-disabling-severe-physical-injuries periods with the individual psychological defense mechanisms.

Results and discussion. Of special interest in the model testing experiment was the physical self-image progress in the EG versus RG. The EG was tested with progress in leveling down the physical self-image distortions in every training session, plus growing satisfactions with the own anatomical and functional characteristics and more positive/ constructive physical disability correction agendas in the post-injury rehabilitation periods.

We found, among other things, a growing correlation between the satisfaction with own physique and severity of depression, anxiety, perceived loneliness, dispositional hope levels, vital activity and existential problems coping strategies. We also tested the EG with meaningful progress versus the RG on the well-being, activity, mood, aggression, anxiety, frustration, hope and existential fulfillment scales.

The fast-recovering athletes were tested significantly higher in every physical self-image component test versus their slower rehabilitating peers, with the goal-setting and positive internal dialogue found to heavily contribute to the progress. Such fast-recovering athletes were notably better in the ability to set immediate/ short-term goals in the rehabilitation process for successful and fast recovery to the professional fitness standards.

Conclusion. The study demonstrated benefits of the psychological service model facilitating positive physical self imaging for the adaptability mobilizing and fast rehabilitation of athletes in the post-disabling-injury periods.

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