Extending the UH and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy’s existing research activity into work related well-being in the UK Physiotherapy Workforce.

Background: One in seven people in the United Kingdom (UK) are neurodivergent, their brains receives and interprets information differently than typical brains. Our previous research about work/study related well-being raised concerns about being neurodivergent within the UK physiotherapy workforce.
Purpose: To explore the experiences and views of neurodivergent physiotherapists, physiotherapy assistants/support workers and physiotherapy students about being neurodivergent within physiotherapy. Also, to help raise awareness about neurodivergency by producing informative materials for use within physiotherapy work and education settings.
Methods: A qualitative study. Participants chose how to participate i.e. via on-line Microsoft Teams or telephone interviews or by submitting written/audio records. Interviews took place June-July 2024 and ended when sufficient information power was considered to be achieved. Transcripts of interviews were checked and corrected for accuracy. All data were analysed according to Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis approach. Strategies to promote rigour were included: a reflexive diary, code-recode audit, sense checking of data analyses by a second team member, peer review of data analyses and theme development. Findings were discussed; the team and three neurodivergent participants worked with a visual storytelling company, Nifty Fox Creative, to develop materials (e.g. infographic, animation) to raise awareness about being neurodivergent in physiotherapy. Media articles, social media, webpages and professional networks will promote dissemination of these materials in addition to the findings being written up for publication.

Funding £12,341.51. Funded by UH Policy Support Funding and HSK, University of Hertfordshire

Results: Fourteen participants were interviewed on-line and two further participants submitted written views.
What being neurodivergent at work/study is like for participants. Poor work/study environments lacked awareness and understanding about neurodivergency and could be belittling and judgemental: this could make it feel unsafe to disclose being neurodivergent which could be isolating and make people feel like they have to exhaustively mask (hide) being neurodivergent. Such masking could make people feel they do not fit in and, because they are not able to fit in, feel fake to themselves. Good working environments accepted and supported individuals, recognising diversity is valuable. Students told us that lack of understanding and reasonable adjustments led to poor practice-based learning placement marks and raised risk of failure, supportive placements enabled them to flourish and progress.
What would improve work/study for participants? Open conversations about how people best work/study, supportive safe environments, allowing for reasonable adjustments and flexibility, and recognising the strengths and value of diverse thinking were all considered to be necessary. Participants were highly self-aware and had developed coping strategies to help them study/work.
Conclusions: Greater awareness of the strengths and challenges of being neurodivergent is needed. Transparent safe spaces for conversations and learning about neurodiversity are not universal and are needed. We can learn from good practice where this is happening.
Implications: Materials to improve awareness and understanding about being neurodivergent in physiotherapy are now be freely available for education and workplace settings. These should lead to discussions and identified strategies to improve the experiences of being neurodivergent at work/study in physiotherapy settings.