The Lived Experiences of NCAA Athletes with One or Multiple Concussions
Background/Objectives: Concussions, their physical presentation, and patients’ recovery have been researched and documented numerous times, but the experiences of surviving and recovering from a concussion need to be explored further. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Trauma Care |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-866X/5/2/14 |
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| author | Jocelyn Schwegler Kristin Mauldin Kerri Racin-Anderson Alexandra Hotetz Jaimee Stutz-Johnson Laiyatu Manya Kamonie Davis Melanie Estrada |
| author_facet | Jocelyn Schwegler Kristin Mauldin Kerri Racin-Anderson Alexandra Hotetz Jaimee Stutz-Johnson Laiyatu Manya Kamonie Davis Melanie Estrada |
| author_sort | Jocelyn Schwegler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background/Objectives: Concussions, their physical presentation, and patients’ recovery have been researched and documented numerous times, but the experiences of surviving and recovering from a concussion need to be explored further. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of NCAA Division I, II, and III student athletes who had suffered from one or more concussions. Methods: The consensual qualitative research (CQR) methodology was employed, guiding the formation of the interview questions and the analysis of the responses. The participants completed a free-response questionnaire as well as a semi-structured virtual interview that utilized a blend of idiographic, inductive, hermeneutic, and interpretive phenomenological approaches. Through their questionnaire and interview responses, they discussed their experience being concussed at a collegiate level. Results: Ten NCAA student athletes described their various physical, cognitive, emotional, and sleep-related symptoms due to receiving their concussion(s). Many of these student athletes reported feelings of loneliness, being misunderstood, or even not feeling “normal or at baseline” during and after their concussion recovery. One primary finding was the key role the athletic trainers played in the student athletes’ recovery process from initially receiving the concussion to their return to play. Conclusions: These findings will help contribute to the knowledge of what it is like to experience one or multiple concussions, the recovery process, and how that process can be improved. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-edca3718d5964ae9a2679e79ae95f2a4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-866X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Trauma Care |
| spelling | doaj-art-edca3718d5964ae9a2679e79ae95f2a42025-08-20T03:32:32ZengMDPI AGTrauma Care2673-866X2025-06-01521410.3390/traumacare5020014The Lived Experiences of NCAA Athletes with One or Multiple ConcussionsJocelyn Schwegler0Kristin Mauldin1Kerri Racin-Anderson2Alexandra Hotetz3Jaimee Stutz-Johnson4Laiyatu Manya5Kamonie Davis6Melanie Estrada7California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, San Diego, CA 92131, USACollege of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Sport Performance Psychology, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USACollege of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Sport Performance Psychology, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USACollege of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Sport Performance Psychology, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USACollege of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Sport Performance Psychology, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USACollege of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Sport Performance Psychology, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USACollege of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Sport Performance Psychology, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USACollege of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Sport Performance Psychology, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USABackground/Objectives: Concussions, their physical presentation, and patients’ recovery have been researched and documented numerous times, but the experiences of surviving and recovering from a concussion need to be explored further. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of NCAA Division I, II, and III student athletes who had suffered from one or more concussions. Methods: The consensual qualitative research (CQR) methodology was employed, guiding the formation of the interview questions and the analysis of the responses. The participants completed a free-response questionnaire as well as a semi-structured virtual interview that utilized a blend of idiographic, inductive, hermeneutic, and interpretive phenomenological approaches. Through their questionnaire and interview responses, they discussed their experience being concussed at a collegiate level. Results: Ten NCAA student athletes described their various physical, cognitive, emotional, and sleep-related symptoms due to receiving their concussion(s). Many of these student athletes reported feelings of loneliness, being misunderstood, or even not feeling “normal or at baseline” during and after their concussion recovery. One primary finding was the key role the athletic trainers played in the student athletes’ recovery process from initially receiving the concussion to their return to play. Conclusions: These findings will help contribute to the knowledge of what it is like to experience one or multiple concussions, the recovery process, and how that process can be improved.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-866X/5/2/14collegiate student athlete (CSA)consensual qualitative research (CQR)experienceNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)recovery |
| spellingShingle | Jocelyn Schwegler Kristin Mauldin Kerri Racin-Anderson Alexandra Hotetz Jaimee Stutz-Johnson Laiyatu Manya Kamonie Davis Melanie Estrada The Lived Experiences of NCAA Athletes with One or Multiple Concussions Trauma Care collegiate student athlete (CSA) consensual qualitative research (CQR) experience National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recovery |
| title | The Lived Experiences of NCAA Athletes with One or Multiple Concussions |
| title_full | The Lived Experiences of NCAA Athletes with One or Multiple Concussions |
| title_fullStr | The Lived Experiences of NCAA Athletes with One or Multiple Concussions |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Lived Experiences of NCAA Athletes with One or Multiple Concussions |
| title_short | The Lived Experiences of NCAA Athletes with One or Multiple Concussions |
| title_sort | lived experiences of ncaa athletes with one or multiple concussions |
| topic | collegiate student athlete (CSA) consensual qualitative research (CQR) experience National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recovery |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-866X/5/2/14 |
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