Digital Commons Network^™

Mental Health Disorders In Dpt Students: Identifying Needs, Support Systems, & Challenges, Jennifer M. Bogardus

Department of Physical Therapy Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: There is an increase in the incidence and severity of mental health disorders in university students. Doctor of Physical Therapy students are at increased risk due to physiological, environmental, and generational factors. Design: Mixed-Methods, multi-site, descriptive study Participants: Current DPT students (N= 1228 ) completed a survey and DASS-42; 20 students demonstrating moderate severity on the DASS participated in telephone interviews. Methods: Surveys were emailed to 238 DPT program directors with a request to forward to students. Following the survey, a total of 20 interviews were completed. Results: DPT students were found to have higher DASS scores than their …