Athletic Trainers' Psychosocial Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Research Study

Context: Despite the many challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, athletic programs have sought ways to persevere and deliver sport programming. This process has strained the psychosocial health of all sport stakeholders but especially those entrusted with promoting the health of participants and enforcing safety protocols. Athletic trainers (ATs) have been a major influence in striving to achieve these goals by expanding their typical roles to lead in promoting the safe delivery of sport programs. Objective: To examine the psychosocial lived experiences of ATs as they practiced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: National Collegiate Athletic Association Divisions I, II, and III. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 27 ATs practicing at the collegiate level (Divisions I, II, and III) who were actively involved in planning and implementing return-to-sport protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data Collection and Analysis: Semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom. Inductive conventional content analysis identified emerging themes that characterized participants' narratives. Three members of the research team were involved in the analysis process and used field notes, continuous member checking, peer review, and multiple-researcher triangulation to establish data credibility and confirmability. Results: Three higher-order themes related to ATs' psychosocial lived experiences emerged: (1) internalized experience, (2) interpersonal interactions, and (3) AT identity. Several subthemes were also identified to further organize elements that characterized or differentiated participants' lived experiences. Conclusions: Athletic trainers encountered significant challenges in maintaining their psychosocial health during the pandemic as they strived to assist others in this regard. Providing effective psychological and social support resources and strategies for ATs may not only allow them to better support themselves but may also enhance their ability to deliver professional services and promote psychosocial health among their athletes and other stakeholders in their respective sport systems in the future.