Article

There is a lack of knowledge of the psychosocial wellbeing and
attributes of Paralympic athletes. Such knowledge may reveal what contributes to
exceptional performance. Objectives: To systematically review the literature on
psychosocial wellbeing and attributes of the Paralympic athlete. Study Design:
Systematic literature review. Methods: Five key databases that index psychosocial
literature were searched: CINAHL, ISI Web of Science, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and
SportsDiscus. Results: Sixteen papers were found that met the inclusion criteria.
The studies were characterised by heterogeneity of design, sample
characteristics, outcome assessment and outcomes examined. The emerging thematic
areas are 1) participation, motivations and goals; 2) mental imagery; 3) stress
and coping; 4) personality; 5) attitudes towards other disabled-bodied athlete
groups; 6) knowledge and attitudes towards doping; and 7) transitions to
retirement. Conclusions: Relative to the biomechanical aspects of the
Paralympian, the psychosocial literature remains limited and diffuse. Nonetheless
an understanding of the psychosocial profile of these athletes complements the
extant physiological and technological knowledge in enabling a holistic view of
what contributes to the successful Paralympic athlete and may facilitate the team
working to optimize performance and wellbeing in these high-performing
individuals. Clinical relevance An understanding of the psychological profile of
the Paralympic athlete complements the extant physiological and technological
knowledge in enabling a holistic view of what contributes to the successful
athlete and may facilitate optimizing performance and wellbeing.

Langue : ANGLAIS