Experiences of physiotherapy in mental health: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of barriers and facilitators to care

Abstract

Link to publication on Research at Birmingham portal General rightsUnless a licence is specified above, all rights (including copyright and moral rights) in this document are retained by the authors and/or the copyright holders. The express permission of the copyright holder must be obtained for any use of this material other than for purposes permitted by law.• Users may freely distribute the URL that is used to identify this publication.• Users may download and/or print one copy of the publication from the University of Birmingham research portal for the purpose of private study or non-commercial research.• User may use extracts from the document in line with the concept of 'fair dealing' under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (?) • Users may not further distribute the material nor use it for the purposes of commercial gain.Where a licence is displayed above, please note the terms and conditions of the licence govern your use of this document.When citing, please reference the published version. Take down policyWhile the University of Birmingham exercises care and attention in making items available there are rare occasions when an item has been uploaded in error or has been deemed to be commercially or otherwise sensitive.

Trust, conversations and the ‘middle space’: A qualitative exploration of the experiences of physiotherapists with clients with suicidal thoughts and behaviours

“…Participants in the current study spoke of feeling underprepared to navigate this space, which is unsurprising given that historically, physiotherapy training has focused heavily on physical approaches, exercise rehabilitation and electrophysical agents with only minor attention to training in psychology [63]. Recent research, and the use of different models of care, such as the biopsychosocial approach in physiotherapy practice, have pushed the physiotherapy profession into new areas such as psychology and mental health [24]. Alexanders [63] theorised that, as a consequence of a lack of training in psychology, physiotherapists might feel underprepared to assess and manage psychological factors.…”

“…those in the arts, humanities, physical and social sciences" in the future. Recently, there has been a push for physiotherapists to consider the holistic needs of their clients and to integrate psychosocial approaches to practice in line with the biopsychosocial model of care [24,66]. Theme three: the middle space casts considerable doubt over the preparedness of physiotherapists to work with clients with suicidal thoughts and behaviours and who are at a low to medium risk of suicide, particularly early in their careers.…”

“…Mental health physiotherapy is a specialty within the profession that involves physiotherapists addressing the physical health needs of people with mental health conditions [19,22]. Much of the research in the area of mental health physiotherapy has focused on clients with diagnosed mental health conditions [21,23,24]. According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, suicidal behaviour is not a diagnosis [25].…”

Healthcare professionals’ perceptions and experiences of physiotherapy for people with mental illness: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-ethnography

“…9 Due to respiratory, neurological and musculoskeletal comorbidities being of high prevalence for those with MI, there is also a growing acceptance that physiotherapists will work with this patient group irrespective of professional specialty. 12 The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the importance of integrating physical and mental health to the forefront within rehabilitation services such as physiotherapy. 13 Predicted increases in global prevalence of MI [14][15][16] has resulted in calls for strategies to promote integration of physical and mental health across rehabilitation services.…”

“…10 12 In contrast, there is evidence that illustrates facilitators to care include positive experiences of services and interactions, 12 24 patient empowerment 24 27 and staff awareness of both physical and mental health needs. 10 24 28 Due to service user reports of poor access to physiotherapy care, 12 it is now vital to understand HCP perceptions of barriers, facilitators and experiences specific to physiotherapy care. Understanding physiotherapist and HCP experiences of working with patients with presentations requiring physiotherapy input and MI is vital to enable identification of barriers and facilitators to physiotherapeutic management.…”