ABSTRACT
Background: Historically, non-career-ending traumatic rugby injury (TRI) has been viewed from a predominantly biological perspective. However, dimensional perspectives, such as the biopsychosocial model, have highlighted the need to incorporate psychosocial understandings of TRI into treatment plans. Aim: To describe the lived experiences of a cohort of traumatically injured South African Super Rugby players in order to add to the body of literature on the subject of TRI experience. Methods: The employment of a qualitative, descriptive phenomenological method was used to achieve the research outcome. Discussion: Common descriptive themes indicated that TRI seems to exist within three stages: the initial, emotional and subsequent reactions to the traumatic injury. Sub-themes described within each stage included attempts at remaining positive and appraising the severity of the injury during onset, fear responses and concomitant feelings of loss related to foregone career opportunities during the emotional reactions stage, the employment of coping mechanisms, and relying on specific support structures during subsequent reactions. Two novel experiences revealed within this study and not reported in the international literature included the injured players' reliance on compartmentalisation and positive religious belief structures as coping strategies. All themes were reduced to descriptive phenomenological essences that describe a lifeworld or biopsychosocial experience of TRI. Conclusion: Themes drawn from this study can be applied in the future design and implementation of expanded studies and psychological interventions aimed at assisting traumatically injured rugby players during their recovery process. The identified themes affirm aspects from the international literature while highlighting some uniquely South African outcomes.
ABSTRACT
Background: Negative psychosocial sequelae of severe rugby injury (SRI) in professional rugby players are well documented. Unaddressed, these issues can leave players vulnerable to persistent common mental disorders (CMD) and negatively affect injury recovery processes. Objective: To introduce a psychotherapeutic group intervention aimed at addressing negative psychosocial sequelae linked to SRI in professional rugby player cohorts. Methods: Literature aimed at clarifying the potential efficacy of an integrative group therapy model, the Recovery Mastery Group (RMG), is discussed after which component parts of the intervention are presented. Case illustration: A case illustration is presented comprising examples of how the RMG framework addressed psychosocial recovery issues in a professional South African rugby team during 2019. Conclusion: The proposed Recovery Mastery Group (RMG) is presented as a cost- and time- effective psychotherapeutic intervention that integrates well-researched psychotherapeutic techniques. The RMG appears able to address multiple facets of psychosocial injury recovery, while possibly offering protection from the onset of CMD. This introduction to the RMG can be a forerunner of similar research across larger cohorts, in different team sports, to determine wider therapeutic intervention efficacy.
ABSTRACT
A postmenopausal woman with suppurative actinomycotic uterine infection complicated by an enterocutaneous fistula is reported. It occurred against a background of prolonged use of an intra-uterine contraceptive device.