# Athletic identity and sport injury: a systematic review and meta-aggregation

## TL;DR

This review explores how sports injuries affect athletes' sense of identity, finding that some lose their athletic identity while others rebuild it in new ways.

## Contribution

The study provides a meta-aggregation of qualitative findings on athletic identity changes after sports injuries.

## Key findings

- Sports injuries often lead to a diminished sense of athletic identity due to physical and psychological factors.
- Some athletes reconstruct their identity through alternative roles like coaching or new sports.
- Future research should explore longitudinal and mixed-methods designs to better understand identity changes.

## Abstract

This review aimed to systematically review qualitative research examining changes in athletic identity following sports injuries.

The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) guidelines. Electronic databases searched included Web of Science, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus. Manual searches were conducted using forward and backward citation tracking via Google Scholar. Study quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Data extraction and synthesis followed the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, and the ConQual approach was used to evaluate the confidence level of findings based on dependability and credibility.

A total of 24 qualitative studies were included. Using a meta-aggregative approach, findings were synthesized into two overarching themes: “athletic identity disruption” (n = 17) and “athletic identity reconstruction” (n = 7). The theme of athletic identity disruption highlighted that sports injuries often lead to a diminished sense of athletic identity due to factors such as physical limitations, withdrawal from competition, and psychological distress. In contrast, the athletic identity reconstruction theme showed that some athletes rebuild their athletic identity by engaging in alternative roles, such as coaching, volunteering, or participating in new sports.

Sports injuries can have profound and varied effects on athletic identity. While some athletes experience disruption and identity loss, others successfully reconstruct their sense of self within the sporting context. Future research should consider more diverse study designs, such as longitudinal and mixed-methods studies, and further investigate how cultural, social, and contextual factors influence athletes’ experiences of identity disruption and reconstruction.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40359-025-03902-7.