The Role of Art Therapy in Enhancing Rehabilitation Outcomes for Athletes with Sports Injuries

Purpose: This study sought to analyze the role of art therapy in enhancing rehabilitation outcomes for athletes with sports injuries. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to the role of art therapy in enhancing rehabilitation outcomes for athletes with sports injuries. Preliminary empirical review revealed that art therapy offers significant benefits for athletes recovering from sports injuries. Through a review of empirical studies, it was found that art therapy facilitated emotional expression, coping skills development, and social support, leading to improved psychological well-being and holistic healing. The study emphasized the importance of addressing the biopsychosocial aspects of rehabilitation and highlighted the need for further research to understand the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of art therapy. Overall, the findings underscored the transformative potential of art therapy in optimizing rehabilitation outcomes for athletes with sports injuries. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Biopsychosocial Model of Health, Self- Determination theory (SDT) and Transactional Model of Stress and Coping may be used to anchor future studies on rehabilitation for athletes with sports injuries. The study provided several recommendations contributing to theory, practice, and policy in sports injury rehabilitation. It suggested further exploration of theoretical frameworks to understand art therapy's therapeutic mechanisms and its integration into existing models. In practice, it recommended incorporating art therapy into multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs, along with developing evidence-based guidelines for its implementation. Additionally, the study advocated for policy initiatives to increase access to art therapy services for athletes, emphasizing collaboration among stakeholders and interdisciplinary knowledge sharing. These recommendations aimed to promote holistic approaches to rehabilitation, improve outcomes, and enhance the overall well-being of injured athletes.