Athletic Training Student Coping Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Context Athletic training students (ATSs) have reported increased levels of stress due to balancing a myriad of responsibilities, both as students and with personal life roles. Coping mechanisms to manage their stress are multifactorial. The COVID-19 pandemic has added additional stressors not yet fully understood. Objective Although some understanding of stress and coping of ATSs exists, little is known about how they coped during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, our purpose was to better understand the coping response to stress for ATSs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design Phenomenological qualitative study. Setting Web-based (Zoom) interviews. Patients or Other Participants Fourteen Professional Master of Athletic Training students (9 female, 5 male) from 14 colleges and universities completed semistructured Web-based interviews. On average, the participants were 26 ± 4 years old. Data Collection and Analysis All interviews were recorded via the Zoom platform and then transcribed by Otter. Basic member checks to ensure accuracy of the transcription process were completed with all participants before analyzing the data. Peer review was also completed. Results Three major themes emerged from the data: (1) the importance of flexibility and adaptability, (2) the need for empathy toward others and self, and (3) various stress management strategies. All themes transcended stress reduction, and each had potential implications for their future roles as athletic trainers. Conclusions Students enrolled in professional master's programs experienced increased stress, not only due to COVID-19 but in general due to the demands of the role of students in health care professional programs. Learning to be effective time and stress managers will be important for professional longevity as other stressful events are likely.