File
T. Yona1, A. Weisman2, U. Gottlieb3, Y. Masharawi2
1Israeli Physiotherapy Society, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2Tel Aviv University, Spinal Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, Tel Aviv, Israel, 3Ariel University, Neuromuscular and Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Physiotherapy, Ariel, Israel
Background: Depression and musculoskeletal (MSK) pain are two of the most common health conditions and pose an increasing public health concern globally. While MSK pain is a common reason for seeking medical care, depression is considered to be one of the leading causes of disability and burden to healthcare systems around the world. The World health organization estimates are that 4.4% of the global suffers from depression. In recent years, several studies have been done with physiotherapists and found this population to have MSK pain. However, it is unclear what the prevalence of these problems are as the lifetime prevalence ranges from 55–91%. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study to date assessed the rate of depression and its relation to MSK pain in physiotherapists and physiotherapy students.
Purpose: 1) To assess depression levels and its prevalence in Israeli Physiotherapists and Physiotherapy students;
2) to characterize the types of MSK pain in these populations and establish their prevalence; and finally,
3) to analyze the relationships between MSK pain and depression among physiotherapists and physiotherapy students.
2) to characterize the types of MSK pain in these populations and establish their prevalence; and finally,
3) to analyze the relationships between MSK pain and depression among physiotherapists and physiotherapy students.
Methods: An online cross-sectional survey of physiotherapists and physiotherapy students. The tools used were the extended Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (NMQ-E) for pain prevalence, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression, and socio-demographic questions. Logistic and multinomial regressions were used to determine the odds ratios (OR) and possible associations between musculoskeletal pain, depression, and demographic variables. The research followed the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES).
Ethical approval was granted from Tel-Aviv University (Number: 0000786-1).
Ethical approval was granted from Tel-Aviv University (Number: 0000786-1).
Results: A total of 823 respondents completed the survey: 707 (85.9%) physiotherapists and 116 (14.1%) physiotherapy students. One hundred and eight (13.1%) of the participants scored in the moderate to severe depression category of the PHQ-9 (>10), two hundred and sixty-one (31.7%) participants scored in the mild depression category, and 454 (55.1%) were in the None to Minimal depression category. A total of 84 (11.9) of the physiotherapists and 24 (20.7) of the physiotherapy students reported moderate to severe depression in the last two weeks. Neck pain was the most common pain area today (26.7-35.3%), in the last month (44.8-48.3%), and the last year (56.9-58.7%) for both physiotherapists and students, while the lower back was the most common area for lifetime prevalence (75.9-78.5%). Current pain (2.5, 95% CI 1.5 – 4.3) and smoking (2.0, 95% CI 1.0 – 4.1) increased the odds for depression, and higher salary decreased the odds for depression (0.3. 95% CI 0.1 – 0.7).
Conclusion(s): The prevalence of depression in Israeli physiotherapists and physiotherapy students is higher than that of the general population (mean - 4.4%) . The most prominent association of depression with MSK pain was that higher severity of depression increased the odds of current pain. The prevalence of MSK pain and pain sites is similar to previously reported findings.
Implications: The current findings merit further investigation of rates and levels of depression among physiotherapists globally. This matter should raise concerns for physiotherapist employers, educators, and health systems, and require further research into possible prevention of and interventions for depression.
Funding, acknowledgements: None declared
Keywords: Depression, Pain, Health-Systems
Topic: Professional issues
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: Tel Aviv University
Committee: Tel Aviv University Ethics Committee
Ethics number: 0000786-1
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
