Pain Anxiety and Its Link to Sports Injury Rehabilitation Beliefs Among Filipino Student-Athletes

In the competitive world of sports, athletic injuries are not just physical setbacks but may also produce, which is characterized by fear and worry about pain and pain-related sensations, which may influence the beliefs of student-athletes about the effectiveness of sports injury rehabilitation in contributing to their recovery. Thus, the study employed a sequential explanatory mixed-method design to investigate the relationship between pain anxiety and sports injury rehabilitation beliefs among Filipino student-athletes. Phase 1 of the study utilized a cross-sectional predictive design wherein the Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale Short Form 20 (PASS-20) and Sports Injury Rehabilitation Belief Survey (SIRBS) were administered to 361 Filipino student-athletes participating in team sports in universities within the Philippines, which showed a significant, positive, and moderate relationship as well as a statistically significant prediction between the two variables. Linear regression analysis revealed that pain anxiety significantly predicted sports injury rehabilitation beliefs, B = 0.0786, p < .001, explaining 12% of the variance in rehabilitation beliefs (R² = 0.12; 95% CI [0.0563, 0.101]). Subsequently, Phase 2 employed a phenomenological research design wherein Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis was used by interviewing 12 participants, which provided deeper insights into their lived experiences. Three key themes were derived that supported the quantitative results, namely: (1) biopsychosocial distress, (2) resources, and (3) rehabilitation path. Overall, the findings suggest that pain anxiety, alongside student-athletes’ psychological and social experiences, influences rehabilitation beliefs, highlighting the importance of internal resilience, external support, and holistic, athlete-centered rehabilitation strategies.