@article{ref1,
title="Encountering suicide in primary healthcare rehabilitation: the experiences of physiotherapists",
journal="BMC psychiatry",
year="2021",
author="Lundin, Åse and Bergenheim, Anna",
volume="20",
number="1",
pages="e597-e597",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Suicide is a serious public health issue and one of the most common causes of death globally. Suicide has long-lasting impact on personal, relational,  community and societal levels. Research has shown that patients often seek help in  the primary healthcare system preceding a suicide. Studies exploring the experiences  of encountering patients at risk for suicide have been performed among various  categories of healthcare personnel, such as nurses and psychiatry residents as well  as emergency room staff. There is a lack of research regarding primary healthcare  rehabilitation staff, despite the fact that physiotherapists are the third largest  health profession in the Western hemisphere and often work with patients  experiencing mental health symptoms. The aim of this study was to explore the  experiences of encountering patients at risk for suicide among physiotherapists  working in a primary healthcare rehabilitation setting. <br><br>METHODS: Semi-structured  interviews were conducted with 13 physiotherapists working in primary healthcare  rehabilitation clinics in the Gothenburg area, Sweden. The interviews were recorded  on audio and transcribed into written text. A qualitative content analysis was  performed on the material collected. <br><br>RESULTS: The analysis of the material revealed  an overarching theme, Through barriers and taboos - the physiotherapist finds a way,  with five main categories: possibilities for identification, obstacles in meeting  suicide, workplace environment matters, where does the patient belong? and education  and experience are keys. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates that  physiotherapists in the primary healthcare system encounter patients experiencing  suicidality, and they expressed a strong desire to care for both the physical and  mental wellbeing of the patients. Despite reporting many barriers, the  physiotherapists often found a way to form a meaningful therapeutic alliance with  the patient and to ask about possible suicidality in their clinical practice. The  result suggests that physiotherapists could play a larger role in working with  patients experiencing suicidality in a primary healthcare setting and that they  could be viewed as possible gatekeepers in identification as well as referral of  these patients into other parts of the healthcare system.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1471-244X",
doi="10.1186/s12888-020-03004-1",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-03004-1"
}