Athletes’ lived experiences recovering from and returning to sport following a sport-related concussion : a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies
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- Mild traumatic brain injury
- Sport medicine
- Athletes
- Rehabilitation
- Meta-synthesis
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Résumé
A small, but growing body of qualitative studies have explored athletes’ lived experiences with sport-related concussions (SRCs). For this meta-synthesis, we reviewed and synthesized qualitative, peer-reviewed studies on athletes’ lived experiences during recovery from and/or return to sport following SRC. Following PRISMA guidelines, we initially identified 5062 articles through PsycINFO, Embase, MedLine, SportDiscus, and Web of Science. After eliminating duplicates, screening titles, abstracts and full texts, 33 peer-reviewed articles matched our inclusion criteria. Subsequently, the authors appraised the quality of the included articles using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program. We followed guidelines for thematic synthesis, in which we initially developed 16 descriptive themes, each rooted in the original data extracted from the 33 articles. Subsequently, we developed four analytical themes that were informed by the descriptive themes and existing models and frameworks in the sport and exercise literature: (a) SRC characteristics: Identifying SRC features, (b) SRC consequences: Understanding the impact of the injury, (c) SRC outcomes: Discovering paths to recovery, and (d) Influential factors: Exploring the contextual factors affecting SRC consequences and outcomes. Our findings offer a comprehensive description of qualitative evidence on athletes’ lived experiences with SRC, including gaps in knowledge and insights for future research in the field.