Taking notice of the hidden injury

ESPN
College-level athletic programs provide trained staff to address athletes’ physical injuries, but are not always prepared to support them when a mental health problem arises. No data are being collected on the psychological concerns of the approximately 450,000 students who participate in college sports each year, and fewer than 25 Division I athletic departments have a full-time licensed mental health provider on staff. Recently, initiatives have been launched that may bring more attention to this issue. The NCAA has formed a Mental Health Task Force which met in November, and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association has released its first statement on the psychological concerns of student-athletes. “I’m hoping that this continues to evolve to the point where in-house psychologists for athletics or coordinators of psychological services for athletics become as common as athletic trainers and strength coaches,” said Chris Carr, a member of the NCAA Mental Health Task Force.

Spark Extra! Read the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s consensus statement on the psychological concerns of student-athletes (executive summary).