Understanding Fear after an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis Using the Common-Sense Model

Cameron Little (), Andrew P. Lavender, Cobie Starcevich, Christopher Mesagno, Tim Mitchell, Rodney Whiteley, Hanieh Bakhshayesh and Darren Beales
Additional contact information
Cameron Little: Curtin enAble Institute and Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
Andrew P. Lavender: Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, VIC 3350, Australia
Cobie Starcevich: Curtin enAble Institute and Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
Christopher Mesagno: Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 3011, Australia
Tim Mitchell: Pain Options, Perth, WA 6151, Australia
Rodney Whiteley: Aspetar Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha 29222, Qatar
Hanieh Bakhshayesh: Curtin School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
Darren Beales: Curtin enAble Institute and Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: Fear is a significant factor affecting successful return to sport following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. However, there is a lack of understanding of the emotional drivers of fear and how fear beliefs are formed. This study qualitatively explored the contextual and emotional underpinnings of fear and how these beliefs were formed, with reference to the Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation. Face-to-face online interviews were conducted with ACL-injured participants ( n = 18, 72% female) with a mean age of 28 years (range 18–50 years). Participants were either 1 year post ACL reconstruction surgery ( n = 16) or at least 1 year post injury without surgery ( n = 2) and scored above average on a modified Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia. Four participants were playing state-level sport or higher. Five themes emerged describing factors contributing to fear: ‘External messages’, ‘Difficulty of the ACL rehabilitation journey’, ‘Threat to identity and independence’, ‘Socioeconomic factors’, and ‘Ongoing psychological barriers’. A sixth theme, ‘Positive coping strategies’, provided insight into influences that could reduce fear and resolve negative behaviors. This study identified a broad range of contextual biopsychosocial factors which contribute to fear, supporting the notion that ACL injuries should not be treated through a purely physical lens. Furthermore, aligning the themes to the common-sense model provided a conceptual framework conveying the inter-related, emergent nature of the identified themes. The framework provides clinicians with a means to understanding fear after an ACL injury. This could guide assessment and patient education.

Keywords: anterior cruciate ligament; fear; qualitative; biopsychosocial; common-sense model (CSM) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/4/2920/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/4/2920/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:4:p:2920-:d:1060966

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().