Investigation of College Life Anxiety among Students of Physical Therapy: Comparative Study between the School Years

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate campus life anxiety to clarify the causes of differences among academic years. [Subjects] The subjects were 223 firstto third-year physical therapy students (121 males, 102 females). [Methods] The students were surveyed in late May using the College Life Anxiety Scale (CLAS). [Results] Comparisons of CLAS subscales revealed there were no differences between males and females in each academic year, nor in the items of “anxiety about daily life” and “anxiety about assessment”. However, the item of “maladjustment to university” became significantly higher among males in the second and third years, compared to the first year. The main cause was “maladjustment to the department of physical therapy” itself. [Conclusion] The number of male students experiencing campus life anxiety because of maladjustment to the department increases from the second academic year on. Therefore, appropriate consultation, such as offers to change the department, is necessary for students during their first year.