Psychosocial strategies for physiotherapy: A qualitative examination of physiotherapists' reported training preferences

Abstract

Physiotherapists report using a range of psychosocial strategies in their practice, yet, barriers to implementation include lack of time, limited knowledge, and minimal training. This research aimed to establish what training physiotherapists have had with regards to psychosocial strategies, why they think they would benefit from more training, what training they want, and delivery preferences. Content analysis of answers to four open-ended, online survey questions collected from Australian physiotherapists (N = 208) was conducted. Physiotherapists reported having minimal training specific to psychosocial strategies. Physiotherapists reported wanting training in assessment and management of psychosocial issues, and practical application of specific psychosocial strategies. Didactic and interactive training delivered by experts who understand the psychosocial needs of their patients, and the constraints of physiotherapy practice was preferred. These findings suggest that training in psychosocial strategies at the undergraduate level and continued professional development are necessary. Specifically, training in the assessment and management of psychosocial factors, and in referral processes is warranted, and should be applicable and appropriate for rehabilitation settings. Training should be both didactic and interactive as outlined in the proposed framework.

How to objectively assess and observe maladaptive pain behaviors in clinical rehabilitation: a systematic search and review

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“…[ 11 , 29 , 33 – 36 , 39 , 41 , 45 , 46 , 48 , 49 , 52 , 54 – 56 , 58 , 62 – 64 , 73 , 74 , 83 , 84 , 88 , 91 , 105 , 113 , 115 ]…”

“…[ 27 , 29 , 37 , 39 , 44 , 46 , 49 , 52 , 54 , 55 , 58 , 62 , 63 , 67 , 70 , 86 – 88 , 105 , 119 , 127 ]…”

“…The assessment of behavioral components is an integral part of a biopsychosocial approach. However, clinicians can feel uncomfortable in the assessment of psychosocial factors [ 26 ] and want the support of simple screening tools [ 29 ]. Also, because PB are dynamic (adapted in the short term and can turn into maladaptive behavior), it is essential to have the possibility of a rapid screening.…”

The ability of physiotherapists to identify psychosocial factors in patients with musculoskeletal pain: A scoping review

“…� 2 studies scored 20% (Demmelmaier et al, 2012;Overmeer et al, 2009) � 1 study scored 40% (Parker, 2007) � 3 studies scored 60% (Cooney et al, 2011;Demmelmaier et al, 2010;Man et al, 2019) � 5 studies scored 80% (Beales et al, 2016;Driver et al, 2021;Haggman et al, 2004;Miki et al, 2020;Oostendorp et al, 2015) � 9 studies scored 100% (Bishop & Foster, 2005;Brunner et al, 2018;Calley et al, 2010;Emilson et al, 2016;Hill et al, 2010;Singla et al, 2015;Teo et al, 2020;Wassinger & Sole, 2021;Zangoni & Thomson, 2017) Although the MMAT is useful as a generic tool to assess the quality of different studies and provide a score, it is not a substitute for individual and study-specific critical appraisal.…”