ABSTRACT
Objective: To understand what were the coping strategies adopted by Brazilian physiotherapists in the face of the pandemic over two periods (2020 and 2021), and to analyze the barriers and facilitators they identified. Method: This is a quantitative observational study in two sections (cross-sectional and longitudinal), carried out through an online questionnaire, in which 304 physical therapists participated in the research. The instruments applied were a sociodemographic and work form and the Brief COPE questionnaire. For statistics the following analyses were used: frequency, mean, median, interquartile range, and standard deviation;the Mann Whitney U test;the Kruskal-Wallis test;the Spearman's correlation test;and the Wilcoxon test. Barriers and facilitators were organized in the form of a word cloud (Word Cloud Art Creator). Results: The most frequently used coping strategies were acceptance, planning, and active coping in the two periods of analysis. Most participants pointed out that the fear of infecting their family or friends was the main barrier, and family support was the main facilitator. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that the family served as a facilitator for coping, but also as a barrier due to the concern of possible infection of family members. The coping strategies used by physical therapists were considered satisfactory and adaptive.