Multidisciplinary professional practice and understanding of the psychological needs of stroke survivors

There is a paucity of research on how stroke multidisciplinary staff understand and work with the psychological consequences of stroke, despite growing emphasis on the need for all stroke staff to be able to assess, identify, and appropriately address these. This present study therefore set out to explore how a sample of stroke staff understand the psychological aspects of stroke and their role with these.

Thematic analysis was employed to analyse semi-structured interviews with 10 multidisciplinary staff members from hospital stroke settings. Analysis suggested two prominent master themes; Understanding stroke takes time and Negotiating the psychological role, each with three sub-themes.

Results indicated that while stroke staff recognise the importance of psychological care and demonstrate some endorsement of a biopsychosocial approach, they experience uncertainty and limitations in how to deliver this. The need for ongoing psychological training and support, particularly with less experienced staff, was highlighted.
Limitations of this study are discussed and future research paths considered.