Allied Health Professionals’ experiences and views towards improving musculoskeletal services in the UK for patients with musculoskeletal and co-existing mental health conditions: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background: Interplay between physical and mental health (MH) is widely recognised in patients with Musculoskeletal and co-existing MH conditions. Evidence suggests that psychological interventions improve outcomes and satisfaction in patients with physical conditions, however current healthcare models continue to separate physical and mental health care, as health services are fragmented. If the delivery of MH support could be facilitated by Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists (OTs), this could be an effective, low-cost way to achieve routine integration. This study aimed to explore the experiences of UK physiotherapists and OTs working with patients with MSK and co-existing MH conditions and to understand views on improving MSK services. Methods:This was an exploratory-descriptive qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Participants were recruited via social media and professional organisations using purposeful sampling. Participants included registered UK physiotherapists or OTs within MSK settings who managed patients with MH conditions. Inductive thematic analysis was used, where single and double-level coding, single counting and inclusion of divergent cases were conducted to enhance methodological rigour. Results: Three broad dimensions were identified. Dimension one referred to openness to provide MH support, with scope of practice and lack of confidence as themes. Dimension two described challenges, incorporating mental health stigma, the clinical environment, and limited experience. The third dimension referred to training, which identified the need for further training and strategies to implement as themes. Conclusion: Many challenges to achieving optimal integration of physical and mental health care exist within MSK services. These challenges go beyond the need for additional training and knowledge acquisition and include departmental readiness such as funding, diary management, and supervision by senior colleagues/or psychologists, which need consideration in parallel to match the evolving needs of the MSK population.