Most
weeks when writing this blog I usually focus on providing you information on how
to recognize signs and symptoms of potentially dangerous injuries and illnesses. I’ve also advocated for having emergency action
plans in place and an athletic trainer on site at all times. When thinking sport safety I think we can all
get a little caught up in the physical injury and illness side of things, but
this week is a reminder that we need to be on the lookout for signs of mental
health concerns as well.
Back
in September the National Athletic Trainers’ Association published an executive
summary for a coming inter-association taskforce position statement titled, “Inter-Association
Recommendations for Developing a Plan to Recognize and Refer Student-Athletes
with Psychological Concerns at the Collegiate Level.” The primary goal of the statement is to help
colleges develop an evidence-based action plan for recognizing, referring and
managing student-athletes who may be suffering from mental illness. According
to statistics published in the statement 1 in 4-5 youths meet the criteria for
a mental health disorder and experience a severe level of impairment across a
lifetime. Based on a 2012 study, 45.9
million adults 18 years or older experienced mental illness during 2010. Of those 46 million, the 18 – 25 year olds
comprised 29.9% of the total group experiencing mental illness. Mental health issues are a growing concern,
but especially in the 18-25 year old age group.
Athletic
trainers are taught
to recognize and refer athletes who they believe may be suffering from
mental health issues, however overall care for the athlete must be a team
effort. Colleges need to have an action
plan for how mental health issues will be addressed and it should involve the
team physician, athletic trainer, and university and community counseling
services. If you have a child in college
and playing sports do you know what the action plan is should they need care
regarding a mental health issue? Did their pre-participation physical
examination questionnaire include questions about their mental health
history? Do you what types of physical
conditions can predispose someone to mental health issues?
The
executive summary provided by the NATA provides some of the basic answers to the
questions I have posed and the full position statement will be published for
public viewing shortly. I recommend that
you take a look at the statement and do the work to become aware of the resources available to
your college-aged children (whether they’re athletes or not). It’s always better to be prepared and know
what to do before mental health referral is needed than to scramble for answers
once you realize there is a concern. As
always, be prepared and plan ahead for the best results.
Moving
forward, based on feedback from readers I am happy to discuss/review specific
mental health concerns. To suggest a
topic you would like me to blog about you can send an email to Heather Clemons or tweet me @AlfredSB10.
Submitted by Heather L. Clemons, MS, MBA, ATC
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