Perspectives on disability among physical therapists: a Q study

INTRODUCTION: Discourses of health professionals, particularly physical therapists, on disability can significantly influence the lives of disabled patients, yet have rarely been empirically studied. Moreover, traditional qualitative and quantitative methods may be insufficient to capture the complexity of meanings and the diversity of viewpoints. OBJECTIVE: To identify current discourses on disability among physical therapists. METHODS: A cross-sectional Q-study was conducted with a purposive, diverse group of physical therapists. The Q-sample comprised 59 statements representing varied subjective statements, derived from a concourse of 182 statements extracted, adapted, or elaborated from a literature review on models of disability and related studies. RESULTS: Fifty-three physical therapists participated. Factor analysis produced three orthogonal factors: (1) Context-accounting Biomedical View; (2) Socio-psycho-biological View; and (3) Realist-Antiableist View. Biopsychosocial ideas appeared in all; Viewpoint 1 emphasized biomedical aspects, Viewpoint 2 leaned toward social ideas, and Viewpoint 3 stressed anti-ableist perspectives. All rejected ableist statements, though inconsistently in Viewpoint 1. CONCLUSIONS: Literature on disability conceptions often relies on closed theoretical models or researcher-defined constructs. Q methodology enabled characterization of therapists' perspectives into three distinct viewpoints, reflecting varied emphases on biopsychosocial, biomedical, social, and anti-ableist/affirmative approaches to disability.