The Role of Self-Talk on the Mental Health of Athletes with a History of Injury

Year 2025, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 32 - 41, 28.03.2025

Gamze Akyol

https://doi.org/10.56639/jsar.1620390

Abstract

Both maintaining an active lifestyle and participating in sports provide not only physical and mental health benefits but also social and cultural advantages. Participation in sports is frequently recommended by sports scientists and health professionals. However, the inherent risk of injury associated with sports participation should not be overlooked. Injuries can lead to various issues, such as physical limitations and psychological disorders, making the acquisition of skills that help maintain mental health crucial, especially for male athletes. Based on this premise, the first stage of this qualitative research aimed to evaluate perceptions and experiences by analyzing the role of self-talk skills in the mental health of male athletes. To this end, relevant studies from various databases were reviewed, and 10 open-ended questions were developed by the researchers. Data were collected from athletes with at least one injury history through semi-structured interviews using the snowball sampling method. In the second phase, content analysis was conducted by categorizing and creating themes and subthemes, followed by an evaluation using examples from participant statements. The findings revealed that male athletes perceive mental health elements within the framework of human needs and that there is a stronger perceived association between male gender and mental health. Athletes reported experiencing more psychological challenges than physical difficulties during the injury process, and their self-talk had positive effects on their mental health, performance, and overall well-being during this period. As their positive internal dialogues increased, they felt better and more motivated to return to sports. Additionally, they became more aware of self-talk as a mental health preservation strategy.

Keywords

mental healts, self talk, sport injury

Sakatlık Öyküsü Olan Sporcuların Ruhsal Sağlığı Üzerinde Kendi Kendine Konuşmanın Rolü

Abstract

Hem aktif bir yaşam tarzını sürdürmek hem de spora katılmak, fiziksel ve zihinsel sağlık yararlarının yanı sıra sosyal ve kültürel avantajlar da sağlar. Spor bilimciler ve sağlık profesyonelleri, spor yapmayı sıklıkla tavsiye etmektedir. Ancak, spor katılımıyla ilişkili yaralanma riski göz ardı edilmemelidir. Yaralanmalar, fiziksel sınırlamalardan psikolojik bozukluklara kadar çeşitli sorunlara yol açabilir ve özellikle erkek sporcular için zihinsel sağlığı korumaya yardımcı olacak becerilerin edinilmesi kritik öneme sahiptir. Bu bağlamdan hareketle, bu nitel araştırmanın ilk aşamasında, erkek sporcuların zihinsel sağlığında içsel konuşma becerilerinin rolünü değerlendirerek algılar ve deneyimler analiz edilmiştir. Bu amaçla, çeşitli veri tabanlarından ilgili çalışmalar incelenmiş ve araştırmacılar tarafından 10 açık uçlu soru geliştirilmiştir. Veriler, en az bir yaralanma geçmişine sahip sporculardan, kartopu örnekleme yöntemi kullanılarak yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yoluyla toplanmıştır. İkinci aşamada, içerik analizi yapılarak temalar ve alt temalar oluşturulmuş ve katılımcı ifadelerinden örnekler ile değerlendirme gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bulgular, erkek sporcuların zihinsel sağlık unsurlarını insan ihtiyaçları çerçevesinde algıladıklarını ve erkek cinsiyet ile zihinsel sağlık arasında daha güçlü bir algısal ilişki olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Sporcular, yaralanma sürecinde fiziksel zorluklardan çok psikolojik zorluklar yaşadıklarını ve bu dönemde içsel konuşmalarının zihinsel sağlık, performans ve genel iyilik halleri üzerinde olumlu etkileri olduğunu belirtmişlerdir. Pozitif içsel diyalogları arttıkça kendilerini daha iyi hissettiklerini ve spora dönmek için daha motive olduklarını ifade etmişlerdir. Ayrıca, içsel konuşmayı bir zihinsel sağlık koruma stratejisi olarak daha fazla fark ettiklerini dile getirmişlerdir.

Keywords

ruhsal sağlık, kendi kendine konuşma, spor sakatlığı

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