Fusco, Genna Mental and Behavioral Health in Athletic Training Education: Current Educational Practices in Entry-Level, CAATE-Accredited Athletic Training Programs. 2023. Radford University, Doctoral Capstone Project. Radford University Scholars' Repository.
 |
PDF
Download (2MB) |
Abstract
Mental and behavioral health conditions impact thousands of people in the United States annually, including collegiate student-athletes. Athletic trainers are in an optimal position to identify and initiate care for those struggling with these conditions. The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) recognizes mental and behavioral health as a curricular content area that must be addressed in athletic training education. Standards 77 and 94 of the 2020 CAATE Standards provide entry-level, CAATE-accredited athletic training programs with the minimum required content specific to mental and behavioral health that must be taught to athletic training students. However, the CAATE provides athletic training programs with freedom to teach content beyond what is minimally required, and to use instructional and assessment methods that best serve each individual program. Objectives: This research study investigated the educational practices used in entry-level, CAATE-accredited athletic training programs in the United States to prepare athletic training students to recognize and initiate care for mental and behavioral health needs of their patients. In addition to examining common practices of CAATE-accredited athletic training programs across the country, this study explored if program enrollment numbers and/or the type of institution (public or private) in which the program is housed significantly impacts educational practices. Methodology: This non-experimental quantitative study utilized an email solicitation with an embedded link to an online survey. Seventy completed surveys (28.2% response rate) were received from the 248 entry-level, CAATE-accredited athletic training education program directors in the United States from August 7 to September 30, 2023. Results: Common educational practices used to teach mental and behavioral health content were identified. On average, athletic training programs spend 33.8 hours of instructional time teaching mental and behavioral health content. Program directors reported that content was frequently taught in didactic education (98%) through coursework in psychosocial and/or behavioral health (67.1%), general medical (45.7%), and emergency and immediate care (41.4%). Lecture (95.7%) was the most frequently reported engagement strategy used, followed by discussion-based learning (74.3%), problem-based learning (72.9%), and role-play (71.4%). Full-time faculty members (90.0%) were most frequently identified as the instructor for this content, followed by faculty members from mental and behavioral health education programs. To assess student knowledge, multiple-choice testing (90.0%) was the most frequently reported assessment strategy used. There was no statistically significant difference, however, in educational practices between public and private institutions. Similarly, there was no statistically significant relationship between the number of students enrolled in the program and the educational practices except for a weak, positive relationship with instructor type. Conclusion: Students across the United States are receiving similar education related to content areas addressed, instructors and resources used, time spent, and delivery, engagement, and assessment strategies used to teach mental and behavioral health content regardless of the type of institution or size of the program. However, because it is challenging to provide students with real-time patient-care opportunities, program faculty should utilize simulations that mimic real-world experiences to prepare students to identify and initiate care for patients struggling with mental and behavioral health concerns.
| Item Type: | Doctoral Capstone Project |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | R Medicine > R Medicine (General) |
| Divisions: | Radford University > Waldron College of Health and Human Services > Health Sciences Program |
| Date Deposited: | 31 Jan 2024 01:28 |
| Last Modified: | 31 Jan 2024 01:28 |
| URI: | http://wagner.radford.edu/id/eprint/1078 |
Administrative Actions
 |
View Item |
