Engagement in rehabilitation, such as physiotherapy, is critical to enhanced outcomes from musculoskeletal injuries (MIs) and has been found to be related to psychosocial factors, including increased personal control, higher levels of autonomous-motivation and more problem-focused type coping strategies in sports populations. However, this has not been empirically studied in British military groups, despite MIs being the most common reason for medical discharge from the British armed forces. Military personnel are thought to cope with injury within the context of a 'military culture' that is not found in civilians. This study tested a concept of military culture being related to greater adherence to masculine norms; higher levels of perceived personal control and autonomous motivation; lower levels of emotion-focused coping strategies; a greater use of problem-focused coping strategies and better engagement in rehabilitation. Data from self-report questionnaires and physiotherapist ratings of engagement in rehabilitation, provided by two groups, was compared. Group one consisted of 16 serving male military personnel and group two of 22 committed sports men; all had MIs sustained within the past 6 months, for which they were having physiotherapy. The sports group were found to show statistically significant greater adherence to masculine norms, and use of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies. No significant differences were found between the groups on perceived personal control, autonomous motivation nor engagement in rehabilitation. A military culture defined by greater adherence to masculine norms; higher levels of perceived personal control and autonomous motivation and a greater use of problem-focused coping strategies has therefore not been supported by this study. However, only sufficient power was achieved for the analysis of emotional-focused coping strategies so caution must be taken when interpreting these results. Clinical and research implications are discussed with recommendations for further work with methodological lessons learnt.

The purpose of this study was to uncover the unique and devastating consequences of untreated head injuries in a population that self-monitors their return to play after an injury. The secondary purpose was to identify the general perceptions of head injuries in the action sports culture and the themes that are common challenges for action sport athletes during their TBI rehabilitation in order to examine the coping skills that were used during their attempt to return to their sport. Seven athletes were interviewed. The sports represented were snowboarding, BMX racing, BMX freestyle, and motocross. The interviews assessed the following concepts: injury experience, symptoms, recovery, perception of the sport, return to sport, personality factors, and perception of head injuries. The interviews were transcribed and coded by the researcher in order to identify common themes and perceptions. The results indicated that the high frequency of injuries in action sports contributes partially to the perception of head injuries. It is a part of the culture to ignore injuries and push through pain. While the athletes have found success with this method in the past, it takes personal experience to convince them that head injuries should not be treated in the same manner. Since many of the athletes were unaware of their exact medical diagnosis, the severity of their injuries were established by how much their symptoms affected their day-to-day life. Physical symptoms were the most commonly reported, but psychological symptoms had a greater affect on the participants' day-to-day life. Generally, the participants who returned to play had higher levels of self-efficacy and self-awareness than the athletes who were not able to return. However, it is unclear from the study if the athletes had high self-efficacy because they were able to return, or if they were able to return because of their pre-injury characteristics. There was also a general consensus among the participants that more support and awareness about brain injuries were needed in their sport. / Kinesiology