Recently Certified Athletic Trainers' Undergraduate Educational Preparation in Psychosocial Intervention and Referral (Original Research) (Report‪)‬

In 2004, the National Athletic Trainers' Association eliminated the internship route to athletic training certification and required that all athletic training students enroll in accredited athletic training education programs (ATEPs) in order to be eligible to sit for the Board of Certification national examination. The ATEPs are required to implement educational competencies and proficiencies established by the Education Council and the Professional Education Committee, which have been in place since 1999. Twelve content areas have been established in which athletic training students (ATSs) must demonstrate educational competency and clinical proficiency. "Psychosocial Intervention and Referral" is one of these 12 content areas, emphasizing communication skills, motivation and adherence strategies, social support and basic counseling skills (eg, emotional response to injury), mental skills training (eg, imagery, relaxation), and potential referral situations. Studies of certified athletic trainers (ATs) and injured athletes have suggested rehabilitation adherence and motivation strategies (1,2); however, we found no authors who have evaluated ATs' educational preparation in these content areas. Researchers also have demonstrated the important benefits of AT-provided social support (3-5) (including promoting rehabilitation adherence (1)), as well as the important counseling role ATs fulfill. (6,7) One group (6) evaluated ATs' perceived educational preparation in the area of counseling and found that most were under-prepared to handle many typical counseling situations. Other authors (8-10) have investigated the perceived importance of, and the need and desire for knowledge in, psychological techniques and interpersonal skills that ATs have been advised to use with injured athletes. Professionals both need and desire more formal education in the use of short-term goals, promoting positive self-thoughts, creating variety in rehabilitation exercises, and encouraging effective communication skills.