Patient and practitioner perspectives of psychological need support in physical therapy.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To examine strategies utilized by physical therapists that contributed to patient perceptions of basic psychological needs support articulated within Self-Determination Theory (SDT). METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with physical therapists (n = 9) and physical therapy patients (n = 9) undergoing rehabilitation for a variety of musculoskeletal injuries. RESULTS: Both patients and practitioners articulated the value of specific competence (e.g. matching rehabilitation challenges with patient abilities) and autonomy support strategies (e.g. active decision-making). Interestingly, both patients and therapists emphasized the salience of relatedness need support, a finding indicative of the potential importance of this need in a rehabilitation environment. The possibility that relatedness need support may be of equal - or potentially greater - importance than the other two needs in a rehabilitation setting, is however, antithetical to SDT contentions. Whether the primacy of relatedness need support is an artifact of the sample used in the current study or a reflection of a broader rehabilitation trend, is uncertain and remains a topic for further investigation. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the strategies physical therapists use to support patients' psychological needs may have substantial implications for patient motivation and rehabilitation adherence, such as, improved psychological well-being, enhanced function, and increased adherence to physical therapists' recommendations.