The Approach of Physiotherapists in the Management of Patients with Persistent Pain and Comorbid Anxiety/Depression: Are There Any Differences between Male and Female Professionals?
Articolo
Data di Pubblicazione:
2024
Citazione:
The Approach of Physiotherapists in the Management of Patients with Persistent Pain and Comorbid Anxiety/Depression: Are There Any Differences between Male and Female Professionals? / M. Chiesa, G. Nicolini, M. Buoli. - In: MEDICINA. - ISSN 1010-660X. - 60:2(2024 Feb), pp. 292.1-292.11. [10.3390/medicina60020292]
Abstract:
Background and Objectives: Chronic pain is a prevalent condition that is frequently compli-
cated by mood and anxiety disorders. The purpose of the present article is to identify differences
in the management of patients with chronic pain and anxiety/mood disorders depending on the
physiotherapists’ gender. Materials and Methods: An ad hoc questionnaire was developed and sent to
327 physiotherapists by e-mail. The two groups identified by gender were compared by unpaired-
sample t tests for continuous variables and χ2 tests for qualitative ones. A binary logistic regression
was then performed with factors resulting as statistically significant in univariate analyses as in-
dependent variables and gender as a dependent one. Results: Female physiotherapists exhibited a
higher level of confidence than male physiotherapists in administering continued physiotherapy for
patients affected by Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) (p = 0.01), as well as for individuals who
had previously engaged with a mental health professional (p = 0.01). Furthermore, female physiother-
apists believed that pharmacotherapy was less associated with motor side effects (p < 0.01) and more
frequently recognized the importance of training to identify affective disorders (p = 0.01) and the
need for more education in mental health (p = 0.01 ). The binary logistic regression model confirmed
that female professionals were less likely to work = freelance (p = 0.015) and were more confident in
the receival of physiotherapy by patients with GAD (p = 0.05). Conclusions: Female physiotherapists
compared to male ones seem to be more comfortable with patients affected by mental conditions and
to be more aware of the need for training on mental health. Further studies are needed to confirm the
results of the present study.
Tipologia IRIS:
01 - Articolo su periodico
Keywords:
physiotherapy; depression; anxiety; gender; management
Elenco autori:
M. Chiesa, G. Nicolini, M. Buoli
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