Sports injuries and mental health were linked in young athletes
A large review found associations in both directions, but the mental-health-to-injury link became statistically inconclusive after adjustment for possible publication bias.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Sports injuries were linked with poorer mental health and well-being in young athletes. The reverse relationship was less secure: an initially significant association between poorer mental health and injury risk lost statistical significance after accounting for possible publication bias. The review therefore supports an association, with uncertainty about direction and causation.
The abstract does not provide the effect estimate after publication-bias adjustment or study-level follow-up periods. Few studies examined possible psychosocial mechanisms, and the review does not establish causation.
A question in both directions
The researchers asked whether injuries and mental health were connected in either direction, including concussion. They combined quantitative studies across levels of sport, while also considering possible roles for social support and athletic identity.
Why the adjustment matters
The publication-bias adjustment changed the interpretation of the reverse association. Its loss of statistical significance means the pooled evidence was inconclusive after that adjustment, rather than demonstrating that mental health has no relationship with injury.
The original publication
Bidirectional Relationship Between Mental Health and Sports Injury in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Chow ARW, Zaneva M, Rashid L et al.
Sports Med · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41528417
- Record checked
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