Trauma Informed Care: A Framework for Understanding and Addressing Trauma and Its Impact on Athletes

An increasing number of athletic organizations have begun to recognize athlete well-being and mental health as an important aspect of sport; however, there continues to be reports of suicide, sexual abuse, and other traumatic events amongst athletes across the U.S. A clearer picture of the prevalence of trauma experienced by athletes is forming, and ultimately, those who work with athletes will benefit from an understanding of the impact of trauma. Trauma is defined as “an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being” (SAMHSA, 2017). Athletes may face trauma during life experiences as children, adults, and through sport participation (Kaier et al., 2015). To address the needs of those who have experienced trauma, trauma-informed care (TIC) has been implemented in a variety of health care, educational, and community settings. However, little has been found on these principles being implemented in athletic settings. TIC is based in contemporary trauma theory and is a strength-based, developmentally minded approach to enhance well-being and avoid re-traumatization. This approach includes three tenets: realizing the prevalence of trauma, recognizing how trauma affects everyone in a system, and responding by putting this knowledge into practice (SAMSHA, 2014). TIC encourages those who work with athletes to consider mental well-being as an integral part of their personal and athletic development. The purpose of this workshop is to provide a framework for how trauma-informed care can be implemented in athletic settings. Learning outcomes include a) Understanding the physical, cognitive, and emotional impact of trauma, b) Understanding the organizational impact of understanding and addressing trauma, and c) Considering the ethical implications of employing a trauma-informed approach