Identifying core elements of professional identity among Japanese physiotherapists: a scale revision and validation

Objectives: To develop a revised version of the Professional Identity Scale for Physiotherapists and clarify core elements of professional identity among Japanese physiotherapists. Design: A nationwide cross-sectional web-based survey. Setting: The survey was conducted across 499 institutions employing physiotherapists in Japan. Participants: A total of 1 037 physiotherapists participated in the study (mean age = 32.3 years; 68.5% male, 31.0% female, and 0.5% unspecified gender). Main outcome measures: Primary outcome measures were the factor structure and internal consistency of the newly developed Professional Identity Scale for Physiotherapists. Secondary outcome measure included correlations between this scale and the Burnout Scale to assess criterion-related validity. Results: Exploratory factor analysis yielded a five-factor structure (“Development of and Contribution to the Professional Group,” “Practical Skills,” “Client-Centered Support,” “Sense of Adaptability,” and “Orientation Toward Contributing to Interprofessional Collaboration”) comprising 28 items, after excluding 9 items from the original 37-item version. Cronbach’s α coefficient ranged from 0.85 to 0.92 for the five factors, with an overall value of 0.96. Criterion-related validity was evidenced by significant correlations with the Burnout Scale: the total identity score was negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion ( r = -0.322, p < 0.001) and depersonalization ( r = -0.281, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with personal accomplishment ( r = 0.498, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The revised Professional Identity Scale for Physiotherapists is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing professional identity among physiotherapists. It provides a practical framework for research and educational initiatives aimed at fostering professional identity and mitigating burnout. In addition, the scale may contribute to curriculum development, competency-based training, and international comparative studies focused on professional identity within the health professions.