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Concussion response and recovery in men and women’s rugby union: A reflexive thematic analysis of player interviews
,
Chelsea Starbuck ,
Elisabeth Williams ,
Melitta McNarry
PLOS ONE, Volume: 19, Issue: 4, Start page: e0296646
Swansea University Authors:
Freja Petrie, Kelly Mackintosh , Chelsea Starbuck , Elisabeth Williams , Melitta McNarry
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DOI (Published version): 10.1371/journal.pone.0296646
Abstract
Numerous concussion-management protocols have been developed in rugby, though little is known about player’s personal experiences of concussion. Specifically, research typically refers to clinical recovery, with social and psychological sequelae post-concussion gaining little attention. This study a...
| Published in: | PLOS ONE |
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| ISSN: | 1932-6203 |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2024
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| Online Access: |
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa65696 |
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| Abstract: |
Numerous concussion-management protocols have been developed in rugby, though little is known about player’s personal experiences of concussion. Specifically, research typically refers to clinical recovery, with social and psychological sequelae post-concussion gaining little attention. This study aimed to explore the experiences of rugby players in relation to being concussed and recovering from concussion. UK-based rugby players (10 men, 9 women and 1 non-binary person) from school, university, club, military and semi-professional teams took part in semi-structured interviews (36 ± 12 minutes). Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and a reflexive thematic analysis was conducted. Players considered pitch-side healthcare a necessity, though amateur players highlighted the difficulty in consistently accessing this resource. In the absence of medical staff, players were reliant on the goodwill of volunteers, but their response to concussion did not always align with current concussion guidance. Players highlighted that concussion recovery could be socially isolating and that current return-to-play programmes did little to restore lost confidence, resulting in retirement from the game in some instances. Participants expressed a desire for more in-person concussion education and for greater coverage of holistic methods to support their recovery. This study highlights a need for further investigation of the post-concussion social and psychological changes that players may experience during their recovery. Greater focus on information relating to concussion recovery and return-to-contact in education programmes would likely benefit player welfare. |
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| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Funders: |
This study was financially supported by the FJP’s doctoral training scholarship provided by the Economic and Social Research Council (https://
www.ukri.org/councils/esrc/). EMPW and KAM
assisted in securing the ESRC Scholarship for FJP.
No additional external funding was received for this
study. The funder had no role in study design, data
collection and analysis, decision to publish, or
preparation of the manuscript. |
| Issue: |
4 |
| Start Page: |
e0296646 |