Development and Validation of the Psychological Readiness Scale after Serious Injury (PRS-SI): A Study on Young Football Players

This study aimed to develop and validate a culturally adapted instrument—the Psychological Readiness Scale after Serious Injury (PRS-SI)—for assessing the psychological readiness of young football players to return to sport following a serious injury. A total of 265 male football players aged 17–25 from Mashhad, Iran, who had sustained at least one serious sports injury requiring a minimum of three months of recovery, participated in this psychometric study. The PRS-SI was constructed by integrating key elements from two established tools: the Psychological Readiness of Injured Athlete to Return to Sport (PRIA-RS), tailored to football contexts, and the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Return to Sport After Injury (ACL-RSI), which focuses on emotional, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the measurement model demonstrated strong internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity, and an excellent model fit. The final 21-item scale included four components: post-traumatic readiness, emotions, risk assessment, and confidence in performance. Structural analysis revealed that all four dimensions significantly and positively contribute to psychological readiness (R² = 0.99), with self-confidence in performance being the strongest predictor. The results underscore the importance of addressing emotional, cognitive, and confidence-related factors in rehabilitation, beyond physical recovery alone. The PRS-SI offers a reliable, valid, and contextually appropriate tool for evaluating athletes’ psychological states post-injury and can assist clinical decisions, psychological interventions, and return-to-sport protocols. Its application may enhance individualized rehabilitation strategies and promote safer, more effective returns to competition among young athletes.