Views of Chartered Physiotherapists on the Psychological Content of Their Practice: A Follow-Up Survey in the UK

Abstract

Objective:To assess, on a national level, the views of chartered physiotherapists with regard to the psychological content of physiotherapy practice.Design:A postal survey to a national list of sport injury and physiotherapy clinics was employed.Participants:A total of 361 responses were included in the descriptive statistical and qualitative analyses.Measurements:The Physiotherapist and Sport Psychology Questionnaire (PSPQ).Results:On average, physiotherapists felt that athletes were psychologically affected 83% of the time when injured. Key psychological characteristics were also identified in athletes who cope/do not cope successfully with their injuries. Physiotherapists reported using psychological techniques in their work and expressed the need for further training in the field. Only 24.1% of the physiotherapists stated having accesses to accredited sport psychologists.Conclusions:Results suggest that UK physiotherapists possess practical experiences and good awareness for psychological aspects of injuries and acknowledge the importance of treating a range of psychological conditions.