Objective:
To determine whether athletes’ perceptions of social support from their certified athletic trainers (ATCs) were related to their beliefs about the rehabilitation process.
Design:
Division I athletes (N = 57) completed a survey including measures of social support and beliefs about rehabilitation.
Participants:
Division I college athletes (35 men, 22 women) who had sustained an injury that caused them to miss no less than 5 consecutive days.
Measurements:
The Social Support Survey (SSS) and the Sports Injury Rehabilitation Beliefs Survey (SIRBS).
Results:
Results revealed significant correlations between the SSS and the SIRBS scales only for athletes who had sustained severe injuries. Multiple-regression analyses revealed that the SSS scales were significant predictors of each of the SIRBS scales.
Conclusions:
Results suggest that when severely injured athletes perceive that their ATCs provide strong social support, they are more likely to believe in their rehabilitation programs.
