Medscape (6/7, Meville) reports, “There is a ‘striking discrepancy’ between the perceived knowledge of college-level trainers and their competence in managing athletes with mental health disorders,” according to a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine 60th Annual Meeting. After surveying 211 trainers at NCAA member schools, researchers found that “overall, 70% of the athletic trainers reported feeling competent to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health disorders and make appropriate referrals.” But, “when competence in the use diagnostic criteria for mental health disorders was assessed, only 44.0% clearly understood the issues, and only 23.5% of respondents reported knowing Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) Fourth Edition, Text Revision norms.”
