Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42188542›Full record

ReviewSports (Basel, Switzerland)2026

From Slump to Comeback: Psychological Determinants of Performance Decline, Burnout, and Recovery in Competitive Athletes-A Systematic Review.

Yajuvendra Singh Rajpoot, Prashant Kumar Choudhary, Suchishrava Choudhary, Vasile-Cătălin Ciocan, Sohom Saha, Constantin Șufaru, Voinea Nicolae Lucian, Sema Arslan Kabasakal, Cristuta Alina Mihaela, Mihai Adrian Sava and 2 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Yajuvendra Singh RajpootDepartment of Sports Management & Coaching, Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior 474002, India.ORCID 0000-0002-0331-705X
Prashant Kumar ChoudharyDepartment of Physical Education Pedagogy, Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior 474002, India.ORCID 0000-0001-6163-8065
Suchishrava ChoudharyDepartment of Physical Education Pedagogy, Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior 474002, India.ORCID 0000-0001-7491-5404
Vasile-Cătălin CiocanFaculty of Movement, Sports, and Health Sciences, "Vasile Alecsandri" University of Bacău, 600115 Bacău, Romania.ORCID 0000-0003-4357-0882
Sohom SahaDepartment of Sport Psychology, Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior 474002, India.ORCID 0009-0006-9438-1554
Constantin ȘufaruFaculty of Movement, Sports, and Health Sciences, "Vasile Alecsandri" University of Bacău, 600115 Bacău, Romania.ORCID 0000-0001-8923-8653
Voinea Nicolae LucianFaculty of Movement, Sports, and Health Sciences, "Vasile Alecsandri" University of Bacău, 600115 Bacău, Romania.ORCID 0000-0002-7576-3497
Sema Arslan KabasakalDepartment of Sports Health Sciences, Yalova University Faculty of Sports Sciences, Yalova 77000, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0002-4552-9640
Cristuta Alina MihaelaFaculty of Movement, Sports, and Health Sciences, "Vasile Alecsandri" University of Bacău, 600115 Bacău, Romania.ORCID 0000-0002-2928-2844
Mihai Adrian SavaFaculty of Movement, Sports, and Health Sciences, "Vasile Alecsandri" University of Bacău, 600115 Bacău, Romania.ORCID 0000-0002-9811-4086
Silviu-Ioan PavelFaculty of Movement, Sports, and Health Sciences, "Vasile Alecsandri" University of Bacău, 600115 Bacău, Romania.ORCID 0000-0003-3703-9278
Jolita VveinhardtInstitute of Sport Science and Innovations, Lithuanian Sports University, Sporto St. 6, LT-44221 Kaunas, Lithuania.ORCID 0000-0001-6231-9402

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPsychological determinants are increasingly recognized as central contributors to both performance decline and recovery in competitive sport; however, contemporary evidence integrating injury-related and non-injury performance contexts remains fragmented.

objectiveThis systematic review synthesized empirical evidence (2016-2025) examining psychological determinants associated with return to sport (RTS), reinjury risk, burnout, injury incidence, and performance decline among competitive athletes.

methodsConducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus identified peer-reviewed studies published between January 2016 and December 2025. Eligibility criteria were defined using a PICO framework. Prospective cohort studies, longitudinal multi-wave investigations, one randomized controlled trial, matched cohort studies, diary-based designs, and injury-related observational studies were included. Due to heterogeneity in constructs and outcomes, findings were synthesized narratively.

resultsFourteen studies met the inclusion criteria, including prospective cohort studies, multi-wave longitudinal designs, one randomized controlled trial, one matched cohort study, and a diary-based investigation. Seven independent cohorts examined psychological readiness using the Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Return to Sport after Injury scale (ACL-RSI) in athletes with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries (sample sizes ranging from

conclusionPsychological determinants operate across deterioration and restoration pathways. Psychological readiness shows the strongest predictive consistency for RTS, while burnout, motivational climate, and resilience significantly shape long-term performance sustainability and injury-related outcomes.

Indexed as

athlete performance declineburnoutperformance slumppsychological readinessreinjury riskreturn to sport

Identifiers

PMID42188542
PMCPMC13211023

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.