NCAA DI Athletic Trainers� Perception and Use of Psychological Techniques During Sport Injury Rehabilitation

Psychological challenges can influence injured athletes’ speed of recovery and readiness to return to sport. In this study, 485 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (DI) athletic trainers (ATs) self-reported their use and perceptions of confidence, effectiveness, familiarity, and qualification toward seven psychological techniques (i.e., effective communication, goal setting, time management, attentional control, self-talk, relaxation, and imagery) during injury rehabilitation on rating scales ranging from 1 (never or not at all) to 7 (always or very). Descriptive statistics and a one-way repeated MANOVA indicated that ATs used effective communication, goal setting, and time management significantly more often than attentional control, self-talk, relaxation, and imagery. A multiple regression analysis revealed that confidence in teaching psychological techniques to athletes during sport injury rehabilitation was the strongest predictor of ATs’ use of these techniques. A reduced focus on psychological techniques and skills in athletic training academic programs will likely lead NCAA DI ATs to limit their use in injury rehabilitation settings. To ensure that injured athletes are exposed to psychological techniques, interprofessional collaboration with mental performance consultants should be utilized.