Page No 200-208
Rahmath Nishada K and Guneet Inder Jit Kaur
Central University of Rajasthan
Sports injuries often evoke significant psychological responses that can affect athletes’
recovery and well-being. The current study looked at the relationships between athletes’
irrational beliefs, perceived social support, and anxiety related to sports injuries, using
a sample of 40 (18-25 years) athletes who have experienced sports injuries in the past
or present. Multiple regression analysis and Pearson correlation were performed. The
findings revealed that specific dimensions of irrational beliefs, particularly depreciation,
were positively associated with several components of sports injury anxiety. Perceived
social support showed significant positive associations with sports injury anxiety,
indicating a complex and context-dependent role of support during injury. Regression
analysis demonstrated that irrational beliefs and perceived social support jointly predicted
sports injury anxiety. The results suggest that how athletes think about their beliefs,
along with the support they receive from their social environment, plays a key role
during injury recovery. Integrating cognitive-behavioral approaches such as Rational
Emotive Behaviour Therapy may facilitate adaptive emotional adjustment and
psychological recovery among injured athletes