Screening and Referral Practices for Anxiety and Depression Among Patients With Chronic Neck, Shoulder and Low Back Pain Within Physiotherapy Practices

The goal of this cross-sectional, qualitative study is to investigate whether physiotherapists screen for symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain and to explore the facilitators and barriers related to these practices. The main questions aim to answer are: * What are the current practices of physiotherapists in private practice for screening anxiety and depression among patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain? * What are the facilitators and barriers influencing physiotherapists' screening and referral practices for mental health care? Participants will: * Take part in a semi-structured interview (online or in person). * Be asked about their experiences, attitudes, and practices related to recognizing, screening, managing, and referring patients with anxiety and depression. * Participants will share perspectives on barriers and facilitators to integrating mental health screening into physiotherapy.

NCT Number	NCT07177547
Lead Sponsor	Ana Catarina Navarro Ramalho
Conditions	Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain, Anxiety, Depression
Enrollment	18 participants
Start Date	2025-05-05
Primary Completion	2025-09-18 (estimated)
Study Completion	2025-09-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-09-17