ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPIST WHILE TREATING ACUTE INJURY OF ATHLETES

Abstract

Background: Healthcare professionals, including sports physical therapists, are at high risk for stress, anxiety, and depressive disorders. Sports physical therapists face anxiety while treating acute injuries in athletes and experience job instability, work-life conflict, and various stressors such as workload, interpersonal dynamics, and moral and ethical dilemmas. These factors can interfere with memory, cognitive functions, and clinical performance.

Objective: To assess levels of anxiety, depression, and stress among sports physical therapists treating acute injuries in athletes.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with a sample size of 63 sports physical therapists selected using a non-probability convenient sampling technique. Data were collected using the DASS-21 questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 25.

Results: The results revealed that male physical therapists exhibited higher rates of depression compared to female physical therapists (p<0.001). Similarly, male physical therapists demonstrated greater levels of anxiety than their female counterparts (p<0.001). However, stress was experienced equally by both male and female physical therapists (p>0.075).

Conclusion: The study concludes that male physical therapists experience significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to female physical therapists, while both genders experience similar levels of stress when treating athletes with severe injuries