High school students who reported concussion/s were more likely to experience poor mental health and suicidal behaviors.
January 18, 2024 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu
Faculty, students and alumni affiliated with the Department of Exercise Science’s athletic training program have published seven papers across a two-part special edition of the Journal of Athletic Training. These issues focus on mental health and well-being within the field of athletic training, exploring topics from eating disorders among collegiate student-athletes to the experiences and roles of athletic trainers in working with patients with mental health conditions.
The 15 USC authors* included seven faculty, five alumni, two doctoral students and one postdoctoral fellow.
“This is an outstanding number of published manuscripts from Arnold School team members,”
says clinical assistant professor Zachary Winkelmann, who is the clinical education coordinator for the post-professional M.S. in Advanced Athletic Training program. “The broad collaborations across USC and researchers from other institutions provided
us an opportunity to work together for an important cause. Mental health research
in athletic training is needed, and our team is paving the way. Our research focuses
on both the patient and clinician perspective in terms of at-risk populations and
how to navigate the recognition, referral and ongoing support as an athletic trainer.”
In the first issue, the researchers co-authored three of 18 papers. One paper looked at mental health experiences and resources available to student-athletes at Division I universities. Participants reported mental health concerns due to stress and the demands of their sport, identifying self-regulation and social networks as powerful strategies for coping and lack of access/sport specificity as barriers to receiving mental health resources.
Another study found that high school students who reported concussion/s were more likely to experience poor mental health and suicidal behaviors – suggesting a need for careful monitoring of these adolescents by health care professionals. The third paper looked at the energy availability, mental health and sleep patterns of athletic trainers. The authors found that all three of these areas impact the overall quality of life of athletic trainers and may affect their ability to provide optimal health care.
The broad collaborations across USC and researchers from other institutions provided us an opportunity to work together for an important cause. Mental health research in athletic training is needed, and our team is paving the way.
The final two papers returned to the role of the athletic trainer. The first study explored collaborative care models, finding that when clear role delineation and responsibilities are employed, these approaches can help maximize student-athlete wellness. The final paper investigated the experiences of athletic trainers working with tactical athletes (e.g., military, law enforcement, fire service) with mental health conditions due to their job demands. The authors concluded that more resources, training/education and a clearer outline of responsibilities are needed for athletic trainers to best support this population.
*Faculty authors include Dawn Emerson, Abbas Tavakoli, Davis Moore, Toni Torres-McGehee and Zachary Winkelmann. Alumni authors include Erin Moore, Allison Smith, Madison Hauge, Amy Loveless, Reann
Young, Amanda Flanscha-Jacobson and Jacob Kay. Doctoral students include Kenya Moore
and Nancy Uriegas. Adam Harrison is a postdoctoral fellow and alumnus.