This study aimed to evaluate the emotional state and the level of the sense of coherence in the context of physical activity among physiotherapy students and investigate how the participating students' emotional state changed after two years of studying and what factors were associated with the mood disorders. The study group consisted of 110 students-79 female and 31 male. The Back Depression Inventory (BDI), the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC-29) and the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) were used. The results presented an increase in depressive symptoms during the studies of a group of physiotherapy students. Physical activity can play a protective role in the prevention and treatment of mood disorders. The students who regularly engaged in physical activity exhibited better mood, a lower perceived stress level and a higher level of the sense of coherence as compared to the physically inactive students.
Keywords: depressive symptoms; physical activity; physiotherapy; sense of coherence; stress; students.