"It's an Uncomfortable Subject"—a Qualitative Exploration of the Challenges and Potential Solutions to Depression Screening in Low Back Pain.
Importance Comorbid depression in people with low back pain (LBP) is associated with poorer prognosis. Objective The objective was to understand the challenges faced by musculoskeletal (MSK) triage physical therapists when screening for depression in LBP populations, and to generate actionable recom...
| Publicado en: | PTJ: Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal Vol. 106; no. 1; pp. 1 - 13 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
| Formato: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Oxford University Press / USA
Jan2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=191332743&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 191332743 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 15386724 MZW0 jtl: PTJ: Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal issn: 15386724 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Jan2026 vid: 106 iid: 1 pid: 622 pub: Oxford University Press / USA artinfo: ui: 191332743 191332743 191332743 10.1093/ptj/pzaf153 191332743 ppf: 1 ppct: 12 formats: tig: atl: "It's an Uncomfortable Subject"—a Qualitative Exploration of the Challenges and Potential Solutions to Depression Screening in Low Back Pain. aug: au: Sugrue, Julie McKenna, Sean MacHale, Siobhan O'Sullivan, Kieran affil: Faculty of Education and Health Science, University of Limerick, Limerick, Co. Limerick, V94T9PX, Ireland sug: subj: Depression Diagnosis Low Back Pain Psychosocial Factors Health Screening Physical Therapists Psychosocial Factors Physical Therapist Attitudes Evaluation Triage Musculoskeletal Diseases Therapy Human Male Female Child Adolescence Young Adult Ireland Purposive Sample Descriptive Research Qualitative Studies Semi-Structured Interview Thematic Analysis Conceptual Framework Professional Competence Organizational Culture Communication Physical Therapists Education Professional Knowledge Health Resource Utilization Cultural Competence Low Back Pain Prognosis Psychological Tests Ethnographic Research Action Research Descriptive Statistics Data Analysis Software Emotions Psychological Distress Professional-Patient Relations Confidence Referral and Consultation Decision Making, Clinical Patient Satisfaction Stigma Multidisciplinary Care Team Questionnaires Suicidal Ideation Prevention and Control Professional Role Funding Source Child: 6-12 years Adolescent: 13-18 years Male Female ab: Importance Comorbid depression in people with low back pain (LBP) is associated with poorer prognosis. Objective The objective was to understand the challenges faced by musculoskeletal (MSK) triage physical therapists when screening for depression in LBP populations, and to generate actionable recommendations for overcoming these challenges. Design This study adopted a pragmatic hybrid descriptive qualitative approach, integrating elements of ethnography and action research. Setting Interviews were conducted in the Republic of Ireland and used purposive sampling of physical therapists working in MSK triage roles. Participants To be included, participants were required to have managed at least 1 person with LBP each week in the 3 months prior to recruitment. Intervention(s) or Exposure(s) The context explored was MSK triage physical therapists' experience with depression screening in people with LBP. Main Outcomes and Measure(s) The main outcomes were insights regarding challenges and potential solutions to depression screening. Semi-structured interviews were employed, with data analysis following a Reflexive Thematic Analysis framework. Results Fourteen MSK triage physical therapists participated. Challenges were organized into 3 themes: capacity (personal , professional , and system), culture (clinic , societal), and circuitous communication. Potential solutions were organized into 5 themes: training and education, standardized pathways, knowledge of and access to resources, screening tools, and normalizing depression screening in MSK triage equivalent to red flag screening. Conclusion The findings highlight capacity and cultural challenges that lead to circuitous communication. Addressing the potential solutions through implementation research could enhance depression screening practices by MSK triage physical therapists for people with LBP. Relevance This qualitative research offers novel insights into the challenges MSK triage physical therapists face when screening for depression in people with LBP. Importantly, it proposes actionable solutions with participants contributing as subject matter experts. Their pragmatic solutions can help facilitate consequential change and help normalize depression screening in MSK triage practice. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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