Adaptive Perfectionism, Maladaptive Perfectionism, Perceived Stress and Risk of Concussion in Varsity Athletes

Introduction: Psychological variables such as personality, perceived stress and mood have been proposed as antecedents to musculoskeletal injury. Furthermore, a positive relationship between life stress and athletic injury has been reported in the literature. However, these variables have not yet been examined with respect to sport concussion. Purpose and Method: Baseline measures of perfectionism and perceived stress (PS) were examined as potential risk factors for concussion. Specifically, adaptive perfectionism (AP), maladaptive perfectionism (MP), and PS were investigated as predictors of concussion. Mood states were hypothesized to mediate these relationships. A total of 828 varsity athletes completed the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and Profile of Mood States (POMS). Results: Significant correlations were found between AP, MP, PS, and the POMS. Based on logistic regression analysis, AP, MP, and PS did not predict concussion occurrence. Conclusion: Risk of concussion is not associated with perfectionism or perceived stress.M.Sc