Exploring the interactions of athletes and their social support network following sport-related concussion.

Abstract

Research on social support following sport-related concussion (SRC) has largely been examined from the athlete perspective. This qualitative study explored social support interactions during recovery following SRC. We conducted semi-structured interviews with six athletes and 16 individuals who were identified as being part of the athletes' social support network (e.g., teammates, friends, or family members). All 22 participants in this study completed a timeline mapping activity, which allowed participants to share details about the athletes' SRC recovery, including the type and timing of support provided and received. Using thematic analysis, we found three themes. First, we found that social support was optimal when perceptions of social support were aligned (e.g., delivery and perceived impact on recovery). Second, we found several instances where challenges arose in the social support relationships, often stemming from incongruent perspectives (e.g., expectations and perceptions of support differed). Third, members of the support network described some of the barriers they faced when attempting to provide social support to athletes. Overall, these results add to the literature by demonstrating the good (aligned perspectives), the bad (incoherent perspectives), and the challenges with the social support relationships following SRC from the perspective of athletes and members of their support network.