Deck 20: When to Refer Athletes to Other Helping Professionals

Question 1

When referrals don't go smoothly, athletes often:

A) feel they will lose what made them successful in the first place
B) all of these answers are accurate
C) feel like they are damaged goods
D) were not adequately prepared for the referral process

Answer 1

all of these answers are accurate

Question 2

If an athlete refuses to see another mental health professional, the performance enhancement practitioner should:

A) continue helping the athlete with performance concerns
B) start helping the athlete with the issue for which referral was suggested
C) tell the coach and team because their safety might be threatened
D) stop working with the athlete because the professional relationship is damaged

Answer 2

continue helping the athlete with performance concerns

Question 3

Supervision is a good place in which to discuss and practice referral processes.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Which of the following specific athlete-related issues would the sport psychology consultant generally be MOST likely to handle without referral to outside professional counseling?

A) eating disorders
B) alcohol and substance abuse
C) sexual orientation, sexuality, and homophobia
D) anxiety

Question 5

Individuals trained in sport psychology, depending upon the program offering their degree, have received different emphases on performance enhancement and skills related to counseling/psychotherapy.

Question 6

Which of the following needs to be taken into consideration for deciding whether or not to issue a referral?

A) What is the severity of the issue?
B) How does the issue relate to other factors in the person's life?
C) How long has the problem existed?
D) all of these answers are referral indicators

Question 7

An athlete who is facing a rough competitive situation and who experiences mild to moderate anxiety, fear, and negative self-talk is likely to need a referral to a licensed psychologist.

Question 8

What is meant by the concept "referring in"?

A) athlete is referred to a licensed psychologist who has a contract with the sport governing body
B) none of these answers is accurate
C) athlete, sport psychologist, and licensed psychologist initially meet together
D) the athlete is referred to a licensed psychologist but continues to work with the sport psychologist on performance enhancement issues

Question 9

Even though confidentiality is important, the therapist should still report what happened in each session to the coach of the athlete.

Question 10

The rate of male athletes with eating disorders is increasing faster than the current rate of increase for female athletes.

Question 11

Which of the following is the lesser problem to be considered by the coach/sport psychologist when an athlete has a serious enough problem that he/she needs referral to a licensed psychologist?

A) coach may not wish to risk losing the athlete for an upcoming game
B) athlete views psychologists as shrinks for "crazy" people
C) the psychologist may not understand the sport/competitive environment
D) athlete views seeing psychologist as an indicator of being weak

Question 12

John identifies himself as a football player and a football player exclusively. It is likely John has identity issues and has ______ his identity.

A) stunted
B) distorted
C) foreclosed
D) eliminated
E) forgotten

Question 13

The list of important issues to be sensitive to when making a referral to a licensed psychologist does not include:

A) dating behavior of the athlete
B) personal issues such as parental love and feelings of worth
C) concern with food or making weight
D) signs of aggressiveness in an athlete

Question 14

Some athletes may not follow their sport psychology consultant's advice to see assistance from other professional on a 'main campus' because they don't feel it is helpful to athletes.

Question 15

Which of the following is a personal problem for which an athlete may need a referral?

A) eating disorder
B) all of these are clinical issues
C) sexual orientation issues
D) alcohol and substance abuse

Question 16

Which of the following is not a major issue related to athlete referral?

A) substance abuse
B) identity issues
C) social skills
D) eating disorders
E) anger and aggression

Question 17

There are "do's" and "don'ts" when dealing with eating disorders. TheDon'ts include:

A) hold team weigh-ins
B) get help and advice from a specialist
C) emphasize the importance of good long-term nutrition
D) discuss behaviors you have witnessed

Question 18

Considerations for deciding if a referral is needed include all of the following: use of existing coping strategies, length of time the issue has existed, the severity of the issue, the desire of the coach to have the athlete back with the team.

Question 19

Which statement about eating disorders is FALSE?

A) have historically been considered a female concern
B) a central feature is often a disturbance in body image
C) occur more in athletes whose coaches dwell on body appearance
D) manifest quite similarly in males and females

Question 20

Performance enhancement may be of limited value if the athlete's life is a jumble of serious confusion or conflict.

Question 21

Which of the following professionals would be useful to have in a consultant's professional network?

A) exercise physiologist
B) biomechanist
C) registered dietitian
D) networks should include all of these professionals
E) sport medicine specialist