Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35017101›Full record

SynthesisJournal of sport and health science2022

Which psychosocial factors are associated with return to sport following concussion? A systematic review.

Jacqueline van Ierssel, Kaleigh Ferdinand Pennock, Margaret Sampson, Roger Zemek, Jeffrey G Caron

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of sport and health science, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  8. Confidence to Return to Play After Concussion.Journal of sport rehabilitation · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Jacqueline van IersselChildren's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada. Electronic address: jminn044@uottawa.ca.
Kaleigh Ferdinand PennockFaculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 2W6, Canada.
Margaret SampsonChildren's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada.
Roger ZemekChildren's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada.
Jeffrey G CaronFaculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation, Montreal, QC H3S 1M9, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPsychosocial factors predict recurrent injury and return to preinjury level of performance following orthopedic injury but are poorly understood following concussion. Current management protocols prioritize physical measures of recovery. Therefore, the objective of this study was to describe the psychosocial factors associated with return to sport (RTS) and how they are measured in athletes who sustained a concussion.

methodsMEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus were searched through February 2, 2021. Eligible studies included original peer-reviewed publications describing psychosocial factors associated with RTS following a diagnosed concussion. The primary outcome was scales or measures employed and/or key thematic concepts.

resultsOf the 3615 studies identified, 10 quantitative cohort studies (Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Level-3) representing 2032 athletes (85% male; high-school and collegiate collision/contact athletes) and 4 qualitative studies representing 66 athletes (74% male; 70% American football; aged 9-28 years) were included. We identified 3 overarching themes and 10 outcome measures related to psychosocial factors associated with RTS following concussion: (a) fear (e.g, of recurrent concussion, of RTS, of losing playing status); (b) emotional factors (e.g, depression, anxiety, perceived stress, mental health, disturbance mood); and (c) contextual factors (e.g, social support, pressure, sense of identity).

conclusionAlthough current medical clearance decisions prioritize physical measures of recovery, evidence suggests diverse psychosocial factors influence RTS following concussion. It remains unclear which psychosocial factors contribute to a successful RTS, including the influence of sex/gender and age. Future studies should evaluate the association of psychological readiness with physical measures of recovery at medical clearance, preinjury level of performance, and risk of recurrent concussion to support RTS clinical decision-making.

Indexed as

Athletic InjuriesBrain ConcussionFootballAthletesFemaleHumansMaleReturn to SportConcussionRecoveryRehabilitationSporting injuriesSport psychology

Identifiers

PMID35017101
PMCPMC9338335

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.