BACKGROUND: Professional attitudes and behavior are critical for effective physiotherapy and patient-centered care. Communication skills and mental well-being may influence professional conduct, particularly during the early years of professional practice. However, evidence regarding their relationship remains limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the relationship of communication skills and mental well-being with professional attitudes and behavior in early-career physiotherapists and to determine the extent to which these variables predict professional attitudes and behavior. METHODS: The study included 72 physiotherapists with five years or less of professional experience who voluntarily participated. This cross-sectional study assessed professional attitudes and behavior using the Attitude Scale Toward the Physiotherapy Profession, communication skills using the Communication Skills Scale for Healthcare Professionals and mental well-being using the short form of the Warwick - Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine relationships between variables, and multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of professional attitudes and behavior. RESULTS: = .003) were significant independent predictors, together explaining 24.9% of the variance in professional attitudes and behavior. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that communication skills and mental well-being are important independent predictors of professional attitudes and behavior among early-career physiotherapists. The results suggest the need to integrate interpersonal and psychological competencies into professional education alongside technical training to support the development of professional attitudes and behaviors.
Karaçam et al. (Mon,) studied this question.