Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, K.U. Leuven and UPC-K.U. Leuven, Campus Kortenberg, Tervuursevest 101, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
Physiotherapy. 2010 Mar;96(1):44-51. doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2009.08.006. Epub 2009 Oct 24.
In general, psychiatry is not very popular among healthcare providers, although no information is available concerning the attitudes of physiotherapy students towards mental heath. This study examined the attitudes of physiotherapy students towards psychiatry considering the subject's gender, previous experience with psychiatry and the impact of a specific course.
This experimental study compared the attitudes of physiotherapy students (n=219) with those of students without a biomedical background (n=112) towards psychiatry. All students were between 17 and 28 years of age, and completed an established international questionnaire entitled 'Attitudes Towards Psychiatry'. Within the group of physiotherapy students, the effect of a 65-hour course on psychiatric rehabilitation on their attitudes was evaluated.
Attitudes towards psychiatry were moderately positive [mean (SD) 103.3 (9.9)]. There was a small but significant difference between physiotherapy students and non-medical students (Cohen's d=0.31). Female students had a more positive attitude towards psychiatry than their male peers (Cohen's d=0.44). Prior experience with mental illness was associated with more positive attitudes (Cohen's d=0.68). Attitudes increased in positivity after completion of a psychiatry course (Cohen's d=0.72).
To ensure basic physiotherapeutic treatment for the mentally ill, physiotherapy education should aim to promote positive attitudes towards mental illness as well as psychiatry. High-quality courses and personal interaction with patients are the best strategies to achieve this goal.
总体而言，精神医学在医疗保健提供者中并不十分受欢迎，尽管尚不清楚物理治疗专业学生对心理健康的态度。本研究考察了物理治疗专业学生对精神病学的态度，考虑了该学科的性别、以前的精神病学经验以及特定课程的影响。
这项实验性研究比较了物理治疗专业学生（n=219）和非生物医学背景学生（n=112）对精神病学的态度。所有学生年龄在 17 至 28 岁之间，均完成了一项名为“对精神病学的态度”的既定国际问卷。在物理治疗专业学生群体中，评估了为期 65 小时的精神康复课程对他们态度的影响。
对精神病学的态度较为积极[平均值（SD）103.3（9.9）]。物理治疗专业学生和非医学专业学生之间存在微小但显著的差异（Cohen's d=0.31）。女学生对精神病学的态度比男学生更为积极（Cohen's d=0.44）。有精神病史的学生态度更为积极（Cohen's d=0.68）。完成精神病学课程后，态度的积极性有所提高（Cohen's d=0.72）。
为确保为精神疾病患者提供基本的物理治疗，物理治疗教育应旨在促进对精神疾病和精神病学的积极态度。高质量的课程和与患者的个人互动是实现这一目标的最佳策略。
