Collegiate Athletic Trainers’ Use of Behavioral Health Screening Tools

in International Journal of Athletic Therapy and Training

Click name to view affiliation

Taylor B. ChandlerIndiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA

Search for other papers by Taylor B. Chandler in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
*
,
Matthew J. RiveraIndiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA

Search for other papers by Matthew J. Rivera in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Elizabeth R. NeilTemple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Search for other papers by Elizabeth R. Neil in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Lindsey E. EbermanIndiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA

Search for other papers by Lindsey E. Eberman in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Restricted access

Screening for behavioral health (BH) concerns is important for early identification, referral, and management. The purpose of this study was to examine collegiate athletic trainers use of BH screening tools. We used a cross-sectional design with a web-based survey. Approximately 49% (n = 198/405) of participants used BH screening tools in their practice; the most used tools were PHQ-9 (n = 112/198, 56.6%) and GAD-7 (n = 54/198, 27.3%). Practice integration considerations and practice advancements occurred as a result of BH screening. Given rising incidence and severity of BH conditions in collegiate athletics, more training on screening and prevention is needed.

Chandler (tchandler6@sycamores.indstate.edu) is corresponding author.

  • Collapse
  • Expand
  • 1.

    Sudano LE, Miles CM. Mental health services in NCAA division I athletics: a survey of head ATCs. Sports Health. 2017;9(3):262267. doi:

  • 2.

    Young J, Neil E, Granger K, Walker S, Chadburn J, Eberman E. Preparedness, confidence, and best practices in preventing, recognizing, managing mental health cases in NCAA institutions. J Athl Train. Published online November 5, 2020. doi:

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 3.

    Kaishian J, Kaishian R. The prevalence of mental health conditions among high school and collegiate student-athletes: a systematic review. J Clin Sport Psychol. 2021;16(3):122. doi:

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 4.

    Neal TL, Diamond AB, Goldman S, et al. Inter-association recommendations for developing a plan to recognize and refer student-athletes with psychological concerns at the collegiate level: an executive summary of a consensus statement. J Athl Train. 2013;48(5):716720. doi:

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 5.

    Wang X, Hegde S, Son C, Keller B, Smith A, Sasangohar F. Investigating mental health of US college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional survey study. J Med Internet Res. 2020;22(9):e22817. doi:

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 6.

    Watts CJ, Hilliard RC, Graupensperger S. Relationships between resilience, mental well-being, and COVID-19 worries in collegiate student-athletes. Front Sports Act Living. 2022;4:890006. doi:

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 7.

    Moreland JJ, Coxe KA, Yang J. Collegiate athletes’ mental health services utilization: a systematic review of conceptualizations, operationalizations, facilitators, and barriers. J Sport Health Sci. 2018;7(1):5869. doi:

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 8.

    Kroshus E. Variability in institutional screening practices related to collegiate student-athlete mental health. J Athl Train. 2016;51(5):389397. doi:

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 9.

    Gearity B, Moore EW. Mental health best practices: inter-association consensus document: best practices for understanding and supporting student-athlete mental wellness. Strength Cond J. 2017;39(4):13. doi:

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 10.

    Costello EJ. Early detection and prevention of mental health problems: developmental epidemiology and systems of support. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2016;45(6):710717. doi:

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 11.

    Spangler PT, Liu J, Hill CE. Consensual qualitative research for simple qualitative data: An introduction to CQR-M. In: Hill CE, ed. Consensual Qualitative Research: A Practical Resource for Investigating Social Science Phenomena. American Psychological Association; 2012:269283.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 12.

    Lam KC, Marshall AN, Snyder Valier AR. Patient-reported outcome measures in sports medicine: a concise resource for clinicians and researchers. J Athl Train. 2020;55(4):390408. doi:

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 13.

    Valier AR, Jennings AL, Parsons JT, Vela LI. Benefits of and barriers to using patient-rated outcome measures in athletic training. J Athl Train. 2014;49(5):674683. doi:

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 14.

    Hankemeier D, Manspeaker SA. Perceptions of interprofessional and collaborative practice in collegiate athletic trainers. J Athl Train. 2018;53(7):703708. doi:

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 15.

    Copeland WE, McGinnis E, Bai Y, et al. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on college student mental health and wellness. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2021;60(1):134141.e2. doi:

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 368 368 33
Full Text Views 22 22 3
PDF Downloads 26 26 5