Association of Hardiness and Social Support with Posttraumatic Growth Following Athletic Injuries

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is viewed as a positive psychological change resulting from the struggle with trauma. This study was designed to prospective examine the association of Hardiness and Social Support with PTG following athletic injuries. University student-athletes ( N = 235) completed a baseline survey that included questions about socio-demographics, and the Japanese version of the Hardiness Scale for University Student at Time 1 (T1). The same athletes completed a second survey (T2) that included questions about experiences of sports-related injuries, the assessment of Subjective Units of Distress (SUDs), and responding to the Japanese version of the Social Support Scales for University Students, 14 months after T1. Four months later (T3), 209 of the same athletes completed the PTG Scale After an Athletic Injury (PTGS-AI). Data of 92 participants that met the screening criteria were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The results indicated that appraisal support was the only factor that significantly predicted PTG ( β = .48, p < .01) after adjusting for potential covariates such as age and gender. Moreover, hierarchical regression analysis indicated that the association of hardiness and appraisal support with PTG was different for different PTG subscales. The interaction between hardiness and appraisal support was significant for Relating to Team Members F 87) = 3.12, p < .05) and Psychological Strength as an Athlete ( F (1, 87) = 5.02, p < .01). These findings suggest that developing an environment in which athletes receive ap praisal support could contribute to their psychological growth.