A study of the psychological views and strategies used by Irish chartered physiotherapists in rehabilitating injured athletes

Background: Current research has identified the importance of psychological interventions in sports injury and their use in sports rehabilitation (Beneka et al. 2007). However, within Europe, only a few studies exist that focus on how physiotherapists deal with the psychological aspect of their practice (Arvinen-Barrow et al. 2007). Objectives: To assess the views and strategies of Irish Chartered Physiotherapists with regard to the psychological aspect of rehabilitating injured athletes. Methods: A survey was employed via an online tool called Survey-Monkey to members of the Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports & Exercise Medicine (CPSEM), a clinical interest group of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists. The measurement tool used was the Physiotherapy & Sport Psychology Questionnaire (PSPQ) which is adapted from the Athletic Trainer & Sport Psychology Questionnaire (ATSPQ) compiled by Larson et al. (2006). Results: A 31% response rate was attained. Results showed that all physiotherapists believed that athletes were to some degree affected psychologically by injury. The main characteristics of athletes who cope/do not cope successfully with injury were identified. Physiotherapists reported using multiple psychological strategies at work and expressed the need for more training in this field. 23.7% of physiotherapists reported having access to an accredited sports psychologist. Conclusion: Results suggest that Irish Physiotherapists have good awareness with regard to the psychological aspect of sports injury. This awareness, together with practical experience, highlights the need for competency at treating a range of psychological conditions. This research indicates that physiotherapy education in Ireland may need to have more emphasis on the psychological impact of injury to facilitate more effective rehabilitation.