An investigation of the experiences of physiotherapists during the Aotearoa New Zealand COVID-19 pandemic 2020

Abstract

Mental distress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic is recognised among frontline health professionals. Experiences of physiotherapists in New Zealand during the initial outbreak in early 2020 were explored in an online survey made available to members of the professional association in February 2021. Respondents (n = 326) included physiotherapists from both the public and private sectors. Mental distress was a key factor across all workplaces: 48% (n = 132) experienced stress and 44% (n = 120) felt anxious and overwhelmed. Furthermore, despite being “essential workers”, 55% (n = 11) of physiotherapists working in acute hospitals were excluded from collaborations due to misconceptions about their roles by other health professionals or poor communication. Respondents from acute hospital settings encountered a lack of training (30%; n = 10) and those from both acute, non-acute/community settings experienced inadequate access to personal protective equipment (44%; n = 19). Study outcomes suggest more work needs to be done at the managerial level to understand and support the contribution physiotherapists make as key members of the interprofessional team and to support physiotherapists’ wellbeing across all workplaces.