Screening and Referral Practices for Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Private Physiotherapy Practices for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Qualitative Study - PubMed
5 hours ago
- #physiotherapy
- #mental health
- #chronic pain
- Chronic musculoskeletal pain often co-occurs with psychological comorbidities like anxiety and depression.
- Physiotherapists in private settings rely on informal, intuitive screening rather than structured tools.
- Barriers include limited training, unclear professional boundaries, and systemic challenges like time constraints.
- Facilitators include intrinsic motivation for biopsychosocial care and strong therapeutic alliances.
- Physiotherapists report emotional burden when managing mental health symptoms without adequate support.
- Enhancing training, using validated screening tools, and improving interprofessional collaboration are recommended.