Date of Conferral

6-7-2024

Date of Award

June 2024

Degree

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)

School

Psychology

Advisor

Jay Greiner

Abstract

An estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million concussions occur annually in the United States, and 42 million concussions occur annually worldwide, making concussions one of the most frequent injuries among all athletes at all levels. Research in detecting the relationship between generalized anxiety and concussions in ice hockey players from all professional ranks was lacking. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether professional ice hockey players experienced a form of generalized anxiety when they returned to play following a severe concussion. The intolerance of uncertainty model detailed anxiety regarding fear and anticipation of the unknown or future uncertainty in everyday situations after a concussion. Survey data were collected from 48 professional ice hockey players from leagues worldwide. The 12-question survey included the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) survey to address the research questions. Statistical results produced by the two-way analysis of variance indicated a significant relationship between the number of concussions and GAD-7 results in Research Question 1. The results also confirmed the null hypothesis in Research Question 2, indicating no significant relationship between concussion severity and GAD-7 results. Hockey coaches may use these findings in how they work with players after concussions, how they recognize possible complications and warning signs, and when to intervene.

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