Exploring students psychophysiological stress response in physiotherapy

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychophysiological response of Physiotherapy degree students during a complete clinical practice. We analyzed in 15 students heart rate variability (HRV) to analyze autonomic modulation in three moments during the entire clinical practices of 3 months (4 h per day, 3 days per week), first session, middle session and last session; perceived stress, personality, life engagement, cognitive flexibility before starting the clinical practice the academic performance after the clinical practice. Results based on HRV and related indexes parameters fail to indicate the expected autonomic adaptation during the practice. A complete clinical practice of Physiotherapy degree students does not produce a habituation process since a high sympathetic autonomic nervous system modulation was measured in the beginning, at the middle and at the final of the clinical practice.