Mental and Physical Health Behaviors of Doctor of Physical Therapy Students

Introduction. Doctor of physical therapy (PT) (DPT) programs are rigorous, and students report facing overwhelming challenges. Faculty may not be cognizant of the extent of these challenges and miss opportunities to support student learning. The purpose of this article is to describe factors affecting student coping abilities and the lessons they learned from managing their self-identified challenges. Review of Literature. Given the growing body of evidence surrounding mental health issues in DPT students, educators are exploring ways to support student well-being and promote their professional development. Subjects. This study is a component of a larger multisite study of first-year DPT students from 3 private universities. Methods. Participants submitted written narratives in response to a critical incident questionnaire designed to better understand first-year challenges. Responses were deidentified, researchers were blinded to participation, and confidentiality was maintained throughout. A consensus-driven interpretivist approach to qualitative data analysis was used. Strategies to ensure trustworthiness included triangulation of researchers, peer review, prolonged engagement, and use of thick rich descriptions. Results. Seventy responses were analyzed. Two major themes are presented: (1) students described factors internal and external to the learning environment that inhibited and facilitated their ability to cope with challenges and (2) students shared academic successes and lessons learned from overcoming challenges, including the development of new behaviors, enhanced self-awareness, and personal and professional growth. Discussion and Conclusion. Building on previous work, analysis of the lived experiences of first-year DPT students revealed a process of transformational learning through challenge. This process highlights the importance of recognizing and supporting the significant incidental learning that occurs in our students during their journey through PT school. Faculty focusing solely on content knowledge, skills, and even critical thinking may not recognize and support the incidental learning occurring and may be missing significant transformational learning opportunities.

Section: Background and Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

Transformative Learning Emerging From Challenges First-Year Students Experienced

Plack¹,

Hilliard²,

Costello³

et al. 2022

“…2 ese stressors in combination with evidence that has shown significant impact of mental illness on critical executive functioning skills 13,14 make DPT cohorts a population of concern. Although there are very limited studies demonstrating current levels of suicidal ideation in DPTstudents, a study of DPT students by Ellison et al 15 found it to be as high as 7%. e same study also found moderate to severe levels of stress, anxiety, and depression be significant (19%, 25%, and 12%, respectively).…”

Section: Review Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Doctor of Physical Therapy Students: Analysis of Incidence and Lived Experiences

Bogardus

Blackinton

Litwin

et al. 2021

Self Cite

Introduction. is study was a mixedmethods, multisite design, which aimed to determine incidence and severity of depression, anxiety, and stress in Doctor of Physical erapy (DPT) students and to explore the lived experience of students managing mental illness while completing their academic requirements. Methods. Surveys were emailed to DPT programs and forwarded to students. Students enrolled in 238 DPT programs across the United Sates were eligible for inclusion. A total of 1,238 students completed both surveys. Of those who completed the surveys, 20 volunteers were randomly selected for and completed telephone interviews. Doctor of Physical erapy students (N = 1,228) completed 2 surveys, including the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS); 20 of these students volunteered to interview. Students who volunteered were invited to participate based on the DASS results. A total of 20 semi-structured interviews were completed.Results. Doctor of Physical erapy students were found to have higher DASS scores than their age-matched peers in Depression t(1,227) = 2.91, P = .029; Anxiety t(1,227) = 7.33, P # .005; and Stress t(1,227) = 10.76, P # .005. First-year students were found to have significantly higher levels of anxiety (P = .001) and stress (P = .019) as compared with thirdyear students. Four major themes emerged from the interview data. eme 4-Fear of Failure Drives Perfection was familiar to the construct of social perfectionism (SP), which has been linked to maladaptive tendencies and mental health disorders, including suicidal ideation. Discussion/Conclusions. Doctor of Physical erapy students have statistically higher DASS scores when compared with their age-matched peers. First-year students seem to be at higher risk for developing anxiety and stress. e construct of SP may influence the depression, anxiety, and stress described by DPT students. Doctor of Physical erapy programs may want to consider methods to identify maladaptive perfectionism and strategies to enhance students' ability to manage factors affecting their mental health based on the qualitative findings of this study.

“…19 Many educational programs have taken up the charge as evidenced by recent publications related to the health and wellness of student PTs. 3,4 However, despite high levels of anxiety and stress, most DPT students successfully complete their educational program, pass the National Physical erapy Examination, 20 and proceed to clinical practice. 1 e Commission on Accreditation in Physical erapy Education (CAPTE) reported an average graduation rate ranging between 90.0% and 96.0% between 2011 and 2019 and an employment rate average of 99.0% between 2011 and 2020.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…19 Many educational programs have taken up the charge as evidenced by recent publications related to the health and wellness of student PTs. 3,4…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploration of Grit, Self-Reflection and Insight, and Anxiety: A Multisite Study of Doctor of Physical Therapy Students

Costello¹,

Huhn²,

Healey³

et al. 2022