Cognitive processing following acquired disability for para sport athletes: a serial mediation model

Abstract

Purpose: To understand the cognitive processing that occurs in relation to a disabling life event among para sport athletes, as well as the role of para sport participation in shaping these cognitions, and subsequent perceptions of posttraumatic growth or distress.

Methods: Participants were 75 para sport athletes with acquired disability. Serial multiple mediation analysis was conducted to identify the various pathways through which posttraumatic growth or distress is experienced.

Results: Findings suggested that a disabling event initiated challenges to one’s core beliefs which influenced subsequent perceptions of posttraumatic growth and distress through cognitive processing at two separate time frames. Moreover, the utility of deliberate rumination (at both time points) was evident in experiencing posttraumatic growth, while intrusive rumination only appeared beneficial if it prompted deliberate ruminations.

Conclusions: As several unique paths to posttraumatic growth were found, results suggest that a multitude of paths to growth may be possible. Para sport participation may have utility in facilitating deliberate ruminations and subsequent posttraumatic growth for those unable to deliberately ruminate in the immediate disability aftermath.

Implications for rehabilitation

• As challenges to core beliefs triggered ruminative thoughts that ultimately facilitated PTG, practitioners are encouraged to explicitly ask patients about how the adverse event might have influenced patients’ self-perceptions and views about the meaning of life. Such questions may be revisited from injury onset throughout recovery and rehabilitation.

• Rehabilitation specialists should inform patients that intrusive ruminations may be salient in the post-trauma aftermath, but that such rumination may be facilitative if it gives way to more deliberate forms of rumination.

• Attempts to understand the meaning of a traumatic event may be instrumental in alleviating distress.

• Health practitioners should encourage individuals suffering physically disabling events to engage in activities such as para sport, given its potential to facilitate deliberate rumination and subsequent posttraumatic growth.

Keywords:

• Posttraumatic growth
• intrusive rumination
• deliberate rumination
• adaptive sport
• physical activity
• distress

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.