Injured and at Risk: Why Student-Athlete Injuries Deserve More Than Just Physical Rehab

𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭-𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬?

New research highlights a sobering reality: student-athletes who are dealing with pain from an injury are at significantly greater risk for alcohol misuse. These athletes are not only sidelined from their sport, but often also disconnected from their social identity, structure, and stress outlets. Without the proper support systems in place, the emotional fallout of an injury can lead to dangerous coping mechanisms, including substance use.

A study published in Addictive Behaviors found that pain severity following an injury is directly associated with increased alcohol-related consequences in student-athletes, particularly for those who previously used alcohol to cope. In these moments of physical and emotional vulnerability, what happens next can shape not only recovery, but long-term health outcomes.

Why Injured Athletes Are Especially Vulnerable

Injury interrupts much more than just competition. For many student-athletes, it disrupts:

• Routine and purpose
• Physical and emotional outlets
• Team connection and identity
• Access to trusted support systems

Combine that with pain, isolation, and pressure to “bounce back,” and you get a dangerous storm, one where alcohol misuse may become a coping mechanism or escape.

The consequences? Missed rehab sessions. Delayed recovery. Academic issues. Further injury. And potentially, long-term substance misuse that extends beyond the college years.

What Can Athletic Departments and Organizations Do?

Injured athletes deserve more than ice packs and PT appointments. They need emotional support, monitoring, and proactive intervention strategies.

Here’s what organizations should be doing when an athlete gets hurt:

-Closely monitor for signs of alcohol misuse after injury
Look for behavior changes, increased isolation, missed appointments, or academic red flags.

-Ensure open lines of communication and access to mental health care
Normalize talking about pain — not just physically, but emotionally. Provide easy, confidential access to care.

-Have clear protocols in place to assess risk and prevent escalation
Don't wait for a crisis. Build check-ins, screenings, and follow-ups into your injury response plan.

Onrise Can Help

At Onrise, we offer comprehensive injured athlete protocols designed to help athletic departments respond with care, structure, and evidence-based tools. Our services include:

• Confidential therapy with clinicians trained in athlete-specific care
• Substance use screenings tailored to injury recovery periods
• Peer mentorship and support networks
• 24/7 crisis access
• Coordination with athletic trainers and medical teams

Our approach is proactive, not reactive, because we know the best way to support athletes is before things spiral. When mental health and recovery are treated together, athletes heal faster, safer, and with more resilience.

Learn More

This is a critical moment to rethink how we care for injured athletes. Mental health and substance use prevention must be embedded in recovery, not left to chance.

Let’s build systems that treat the whole athlete, on and off the field.

‍