Introduction: The introduction of the biopsychosocial model of health to physiotherapy has led to an increased emphasis on the psychological aspects of treatment. An appropriate use of psychological approaches enables physiotherapists to additionally improve patients' pain, disability, and active participation. Purpose: The aim of this master thesis was to investigate physiotherapists` beliefs regarding the psychological content of their practice and examine which psychological approaches are most used. Methods: We used The Physiotherapist and Sport Psychology Questionnaire, which we adapted to the needs of our study. The questionnaire was used to obtain information about physiotherapists' beliefs regarding the importance of psychological content of their practice. The study included 103 physiotherapists (12 males and 91 females) working at different levels in the healthcare sector. Results: The majority of respondents almost always use positive thinking (78%), clear and simple instructions (77%), and a calm tone of voice (72%). The strategies perceived as most important include setting short-term goals (83%), setting realistic goals (91%), and encouraging positive thinking (84%). Almost 90% of participants felt that there are not enough educational activities available on the subject, which most consider very important (85%) and would very likely attend them (83%). 32% of the physiotherapists surveyed had never suggested the help of a professional to thei patients. The majority of physiotherapists also consider the psychosocial state of the physiotherapist to be very important (71%). About two thirds of participating physiotherapists report that they perceive barriers in their work that prevent them from paying attention to psychological aspects. The perceived importance of the psychological aspects does not differ statistically significantly between genders (p = 0.120) and by employment in different levels of healthcare (p = 0.800), nor is it related to the number of years of experience (p = 0.450). Discussion and conclusion: The psychological aspects of work were rated as very important by participating physiotherapists, who also often use different psychological approaches that they also consider very important for a successful outcome of rehabilitation. Demographic data do not correlate with their opinion on the importance of psychological aspects of physiotherapeutic treatment. Physiotherapists in our study are aware of the importance of the psychological aspects and would like to receive further training as they are aware of the knowledge gaps. Our findings expose the need for additional training and the need to address barriers that limit addressing of psychological aspects in practice.
|
