“I haven't got a clue what policies are in place for this!”: physiotherapy students’ preparedness to deal with self-harm

Abstract

ObjectivesThe prevalence of self-harm and the potential link with suicidal ideation highlights the need to prepare future physiotherapists to deal with the potentially catastrophic outcomes to which a lack of understanding in this area can lead. The aim of this research was to investigate if final year physiotherapy students felt prepared to assess risk of suicide or self-harm following patient disclosure, or showing signs of intention to harm themselves. DesignAn interpretive phenomenological methodology (IPA) was implemented to aid in the understanding and interpretation of participants’ own experiences. In conjunction with the overarching design, semi-structured interviews, via two focus groups, were used to explore participants' views. SettingFocus groups were conducted via an online platform. ParticipantsPurposive sampling was employed as a sampling method to recruit final year physiotherapy students. The final sample consisted of ten participants. ResultsFour main themes were identified: Experiences of disclosure; Encountering mental health; Lack of mental health education, and Lack of knowledge regarding policy and procedure. ConclusionsThe findings highlight a deficit with regards to the preparedness of final year students in dealing with disclosure to self-harm. A lack of both formal education regarding mental illness and of practice experience in the field of mental health contribute to this. Therefore, a more rigorous and directed approach to education regarding mental illness is essential. Furthermore, involvement in mental health practice placements would allow for a greater level of experiential learning and understanding of the issues faced by those living with mental illness. Contribution of the paperContribution to the evidence:•This paper supports existing literature that physiotherapy training falls short in its treatment of mental health related issues.•This shortfall is twofold; relating to gaps in both formal educational settings and practice placements.Contribution to knowledge:•Participants highlighted clear deficits in knowledge of the relevant policies and procedures concerning disclosure to self-harm.•Overall there was a feeling of unpreparedness for dealing with such issues in practice.