More Than Asking The Hard Questions. Addressing Behavioral Health Concerns: Strategies To Reduce Risk
Abstract:
While significant strides have been made in increasing awareness around behavioral health conditions among athletes, there remains a high prevalence of these concerns within our patient populations. Athletic trainers are uniquely positioned as health care providers to both recognize and intervene in behavioral health issues, as well as assist in efforts to reduce the risk of behavioral health concerns for our patients. Blending the van Mechelen (1992) model of risk reduction in sport into primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies may offer an improved approach for mitigating behavioral health risks.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the current incidence of behavioral health concerns in the athletic population and factors that contribute to these behavioral health concerns.
- Apply a public health lens to the prevention of behavioral health concerns including primary, secondary and tertiary preventative measures that an AT can implement within various settings.
- Select and justify tangible strategies that could reduce behavioral health risk factors, specific to their patient population.
- Establish a plan to implement and evaluate these preventative strategies within their setting/ specific population.
Level:
Advanced
Domain(s):
Domain 1: Risk Reduction Wellness and Health Literacy
Domain 2: Assessment Evaluation and Diagnosis
Orthopedic Domain(s):
Domain 1: Medical Knowledge
Domain 3: Professional Practice
CEUs:
1.0 Category A
Keywords:
risk reduction; primary prevention; mental health
In order to earn your CEUs, you must watch the session video in its entirety and complete the assessment.
Course Expiration:
All sessions of the NATA 76th Symposia On-Demand must be completed by October 31, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.
For full details, refer to the expiration policy on our FAQ page.
Kelly Pagnotta, PhD, LAT, ATC
Dr. Kelly Pagnotta currently serves as the Program Director/ Associate Professor at Thomas Jefferson University. She has worked clinically as an athletic trainer at various high schools and mass medical events.
Her research areas of interests are preventing sudden death and injuries in athletics using educational techniques and policy development through qualitative research methods. She is specifically interested in how we can get the current research, recommended guidelines and ""best practices"" into clinical practice.
Dr. Pagnotta serves as a reviewer for various athletic training journals and as a CAATE site visitor. She also serves as a Board of Director for the Association of Athletic Training Education. She a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association and Athletic Trainers’ Society of New Jersey.
William Adams, PhD, ATC
Dr. William Adams is Owner of Adams Sports Medicine Consulting LLC, where his consulting firm provides actionable solutions for sports medicine and sports science professional in athletic, military, and occupational settings that are focused on optimizing Human Health and Performance. In addition to his current roles, Dr. Adams also holds appointments at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Loughborough University, and the University of Utah.
Dr. Adams’ research expertise and interests are focused on optimizing human health and performance. He has been either a lead or co-author on over 125 publications in both peer-reviewed scientific journals and edited textbooks on topics related to exertional heat stroke, maximizing athletic performance in the heat, hydration on human health and performance, and preventing sudden death in sport and physical activity.
Dr. Adams has been a licensed Athletic Trainer since 2010 and has worked clinically in collegiate and secondary school settings. Dr. Adams received his bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his master’s and doctoral degrees in Exercise Science at the University of Connecticut, and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Connecticut.