Paint the Pain

The purpose of this book is to inform society of the gap in research regarding the use of art in injury recovery, and to provide awareness of the potential implementation of painting as a psychological intervention during sport-related injury rehabilitation. Due to the scarcity of existing research, this book has three main focal points: the negative psychological effects post-injury, the therapeutic value of art-making, and the significance of psychological readiness in the return to sport following an athletic injury. The data collected is analyzed thematically to align with Wiese-Bjornstal, Smith, Shaffer and Morrey's (1998) integrated model of psychological response to sport injury. The results are consistent with previous studies in each domain, indicating that athletes experience detrimental negative psychological consequences following a sport injury. Art-making, specifically painting, creates an advantageous environment for an individual suffering from psychological distress, and athletes that return to sport psychologically ready have better overall recovery outcomes.