JAT Chat | Concussion Anxiety: What Parents Really Fear

About this episode

This episode discusses parents' fears regarding concussion risks in youth sports and the implications for communication and care.

Welcome to JAT Chat, presented by the Journal of Athletic Training, the official journal of the National Athletic Trainers' Association. In this episode, co-host Dr. Shelby Baez speaks with Dr. Erica Beidler (Duquesne University) about her recent publication, "Concussion-Related Anxiety Perceptions of Parents of Youth Athletes". They discuss how parents interpret concussion risks, the study methods focused on football, soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse, and key findings showing high levels of worry—especially among mothers and parents without personal concussion history—while prior education did not reliably lower anxiety. Takeaways include asking parents about their beliefs before giving information, tailoring communication, promoting safe sport participation, and the vital role athletic trainers play in providing person-centered, psychologically informed care. Article: https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-0579.23

People in this episode

Host: Shelby Baez

Guest: Dr Erica Beidler

Topics covered

• concussion
• anxiety
• youth athletes
• parent perceptions
• sports safety

Keywords

• concussion-related anxiety
• youth sports
• athletic trainers
• communication strategies

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: JAT Chat

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