부상 후 운동 복귀를 결정할 때 운동 공포증 수준만이 아닌, 다차원적 심리 프로필 평가가 필요하다는 연구 결과가 발표됐다.
국제학술지 《Medicina》2026년호에 게재된 이 횡단 연구는 스페인 고성능 유도 선수 51명을 대상으로 TSK-11(운동 공포증 척도)과 PRIA-RS(스포츠 복귀 준비도 척도)를 측정했다.
전체 집단의 평균 TSK-11 점수는 25.02점,평균 PRIA-RS 점수는 36.49점이었다. 클러스터 분석을 통해 세 가지 심리 프로필이 도출됐다.
첫 번째 집단은 높은 운동 공포증, 낮은 복귀 준비도,긴 부상 기간을 특징으로 했다. 두 번째 집단은 낮은 공포증과 가장 낮은 복귀 준비도를 보였으며,비교적 어린 나이와 짧은 회복 기간이 특징이었다. 세 번째 집단은 가장 낮은 공포증과 높은 복귀 준비도를 나타냈으며, 나이가 가장 많은 집단이었다.
주목할 점은 두 번째 집단이다. 이 선수들은 운동 공포증이 낮아 표면적으로는 복귀 준비가 된 것처럼 보이지만, 실제 심리적 준비도 점수는 가장 낮았다. 특히 어린 선수들에서 이 패턴이 나타나, 경험 부족이나 자기 인식 부족이 원인일 가능성이 있다.
연구진은 "운동 공포증 검사 하나만으로는 선수의 복귀 준비 상태를 충분히 평가하지 못한다"면서 "복귀 결정 과정에 다차원적 심리 평가를 통합해야 한다"고 강조했다.
스포츠 의학 팀과 코치들은 특히 젊은 선수들을 대상으로 운동 공포증 수치가 낮더라도 심리적 복귀 준비도를 별도로 평가할 필요가 있다.
※ 출처:Medicina, 2026. PMID: 41901668
Return-to-sport decisions following injury require more than assessing fear of movement — athletes present distinct psychological profiles that demand individualized evaluation, according to a cross-sectional study of elite judokas published in Medicina (Kaunas) in 2026.
Spanish researchers examined 51 high-performance judo athletes (mean age 23 years) who had sustained an injury, administering two validated psychological instruments: the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia-11 (TSK-11), which measures fear of movement and re-injury, and the Psychological Readiness for Injury and Return to Sport scale (PRIA-RS), which captures multidimensional psychological readiness for return to competition.
Across the full sample, mean TSK-11 score was 25.02 and mean PRIA-RS score was 36.49. Cluster analysis of these scores — combined with demographic and injury history variables — revealed three distinct psychological profiles among the athletes.
The first cluster (n=16) was characterized by high kinesiophobia, low return-to-sport readiness, and a longer duration of injury history. These athletes were the most psychologically challenged: they feared movement and did not feel prepared to return to competition, consistent with a profile that might be expected following a serious or prolonged injury experience.
The second cluster (n=17) was perhaps the most clinically significant finding of the study. These athletes showed low kinesiophobia — meaning they did not express notable fear of re-injury or movement — yet they also displayed the lowest return-to-sport readiness of all three groups. This cluster tended to include younger athletes with shorter recovery periods. The absence of kinesiophobia in these athletes might superficially suggest they are ready to return, but their actual psychological preparedness was poorest, potentially indicating insufficient confidence, incomplete recovery processing, or limited self-awareness about their readiness.
The third cluster (n=18) presented the most favorable profile: lowest kinesiophobia and highest return-to-sport readiness. This group was also the oldest on average, suggesting that experience and maturity may contribute to psychological recovery after injury.
The findings challenge the common practice of using kinesiophobia scores as a proxy for psychological return-to-sport readiness. Fear of movement and genuine psychological preparedness are related but distinct constructs, and athletes who score well on one measure may not score well on the other. A young athlete with no apparent fear of movement may still lack the confidence, motivation, coping resources, or self-efficacy needed to perform at full competitive capacity.
Sports medicine teams, coaches, and sport psychologists are advised to adopt multidimensional psychological screening as a standard component of return-to-sport decision-making, particularly for younger and less experienced athletes. Identifying which psychological profile an athlete belongs to can inform targeted psychological support strategies — whether that involves building confidence, processing fear, or developing coping mechanisms — before clearance for return to competition is granted.
Source: Medicina (Kaunas), 2026. PMID: 41901668
