Mental Health in Physiotherapy with Jude Coe

SPRINT project
Apr 25
3 min read

Content note: This blog post discusses sensitive topics including mental health, suicidal thoughts, and eating disorders. Please take care while reading. If you or someone you know is struggling, consider reaching out to a mental health professional or a support line in your area. Or check out our support resources: https://www.sprintproject.org/support

We talk a lot about physical health when it comes to physiotherapy. But what about the mental health side of things? This aspect is often overlooked, even though it’s deeply connected to how people recover and cope with injury.

I (Sydney Claxton) sat down with Jude Coe, an assistant professor in physiotherapy at the University of Birmingham and physiotherapist at the Royal Ballet, to discuss this further. https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/sportex/coe-judith

Image description: photograph of Jude Coe

Read on to see what Jude had to say:

“I’ve been placed in a place of privilege. I see it when athletes and ballet dancers open up to me quite a lot during their physiotherapy consultations,”

Her clinical work shows just how often mental health issues come up, even when people are coming in for something physical. But for students, Jude feels there’s a real gap.

“I feel when students are faced with patients that possibly might have suicide ideation, eating health disorders, if they’re on antidepressants – I don’t think students are prepared to manage it. They’re good at asking the right questions…but when something goes a little bit deeper…I feel that students probably haven’t got the tools or the skills.”

She makes it very clear that students aren’t expected to become psychologists. But they do need basic knowledge on how to respond when a patient brings up mental health concerns – whether it’s knowing how to offer support, what questions to ask, or where to signpost.

“If a patient admits, ‘I’m just having a really bad day. I’m not doing very well,’ just the students to be able to deal with that situation… Have you got any support in place? Is your GP aware? Do you want me to call someone for you? That sort of stuff.”

It’s not just students who need this training. Professional development in this area isn’t easily accessible.

“I can’t tell you how I would upskill myself. I can’t say to you I did this course and it’s going to make me a lot better…We just kind of have to rely on our personalities to get through it.”

This is a big issue when we know that physiotherapy—even unintentionally—already plays a role in supporting mental well-being. Movement, exercise, and routine can help people feel more in control, release feel-good chemicals like serotonin and endorphins, and give structure to their days.

“By enhancing endorphin release…It will be a two-pronged attack. You’ll be able to benefit that side of things as well.”

So why aren’t more people being referred to physiotherapy when they’re struggling mentally?

“I think physiotherapists have a skill set that helps support people with mental health issues. I think GPs [just’ need to be aware of that skill set. The barriers would be education and the need for upskilling.”

She also touched on the mental load that physiotherapists carry, especially those working in high-pressure environments or alone in the field.

“Sometimes if you don’t have your barrier up, you can kind of absorb it a little bit and it can make you sad.”

That kind of stress leads to burnout – something that’s far too common in health professions.

“There’s a high rate of burnout in physiotherapy, huge burnout rates. And I think a lot of it points to mental health.”

If there’s one thing, she hopes readers can take away, it’s this:

“Being a physio in the middle of a field by yourself and then you’re faced with some really tough, tough things – it’s really important that we deal with that.”

Collaborative research around education and continued professional development will help bridge this gap and make physiotherapy more accessible.

Please let us know down below your experiences in developing mental health skills and how you think this can be improved.

For continued professional development opportunities in mental health and healthcare check-out: