{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,6]],"date-time":"2026-11-06T22:15:56Z","timestamp":1794003356280,"version":"4.8.0"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,13]],"date-time":"2025-02-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1739404800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Burnout, perfectionism, and moral injury are prevalent issues among healthcare professionals, including physiotherapists. The demanding nature of the profession, compounded by high workloads, emotional and physical exhaustion, and systemic challenges, has significant implications for the well-being and professional satisfaction of physiotherapists. This study aimed to explore these issues, by providing a qualitative exploration of UK physiotherapists\u2019 lived experiences.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>To explore the lived experiences of UK physiotherapists regarding burnout, perfectionism, and moral injury, and to develop a comprehensive understanding of the personal and professional impacts of these issues to inform the development of effective support systems and interventions.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This qualitative exploratory study involved semi-structured interviews with 12 UK physiotherapists. Framework approach was used to identify key themes and patterns in the data, providing a nuanced understanding of the challenges faced by physiotherapists.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Four primary themes emerged: (1) Physiotherapy Under Pressure: Workload, Burnout, and Perfectionism, (2) Interpersonal Dynamics and Support Systems, (3) Professional Fulfilment and Identity, and (4) Work-Life Balance and Well-being. Physiotherapists reported high levels of burnout and exhaustion due to relentless workloads, exacerbated by and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Perfectionism further contributed to emotional exhaustion and feelings of inadequacy. Inconsistent management support, bureaucratic challenges, and a lack of career progression opportunities were significant stressors. Effective team dynamics and support systems were crucial in mitigating stress, yet many faced interpersonal challenges such as criticism and bullying. Achieving work-life balance was a persistent struggle, highlighting the need for organisational changes to support flexibility and well-being.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec005\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Burnout, perfectionism, and moral injury significantly impact physiotherapists\u2019 well-being and professional satisfaction. Addressing these issues requires systemic changes within healthcare organisations to provide robust support systems, flexible working conditions, and opportunities for professional development.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0313730","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,13]],"date-time":"2025-02-13T18:36:31Z","timestamp":1739471791000},"page":"e0313730","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Exploring burnout, perfectionism, and moral injury among UK physiotherapists: A qualitative study on professional fulfilment and well-being"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9543-1679","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Glykeria","family":"Skamagki","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Blackburn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniel","family":"Biggs","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1590-2800","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Maria","family":"Kolitsida","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8140-9403","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Cameron","family":"Black","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6431-4218","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Sivaramkumar","family":"Shanmugam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0313730.ref001","first-page":"164","article-title":"Prevalence of burnout among physiotherapists: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"124","author":"E Venturini","year":"2024","journal-title":"Physiother (United Kingdom)"},{"key":"pone.0313730.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"171","DOI":"10.2147\/LRA.S240564","article-title":"Burnout in healthcare workers: Prevalence, impact and preventative strategies","volume":"13","author":"S. De Hert","year":"2020","journal-title":"Local Reg Anesth"},{"key":"pone.0313730.ref003","first-page":"1","article-title":"Physiotherapy Under Pressure: A Cross-Sectional Study on The Interplay Between Perfectionism, Moral Injury, and Burnout","author":"D Biggs","year":"2024","journal-title":"medRxiv"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0313730.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"776","DOI":"10.1002\/msc.1752","article-title":"What is the prevalence of burnout amongst first contact physiotherapists working within primary care?","volume":"21","author":"L Nozedar","year":"2023","journal-title":"Musculoskeletal Care"},{"key":"pone.0313730.ref005","article-title":"Prevalence and Severity of Burnout Risk Among Musculoskeletal Allied Health Practitioners: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis","author":"M Clarke","year":"2024","journal-title":"Occup Heal Sci"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0313730.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.1016\/j.outlook.2020.06.008","article-title":"Impact of nurse burnout on organizational and position turnover","volume":"69","author":"LA Kelly","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nurs Outlook"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0313730.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-020-09980-z","article-title":"Burnout among Portuguese healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"20","author":"I Duarte","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0313730.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"516","DOI":"10.1111\/joim.12752","article-title":"Physician burnout: contributors, consequences and solutions","volume":"283","author":"CP West","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Intern Med"},{"key":"pone.0313730.ref009","first-page":"9","article-title":"Risk factors associated with physical therapist burnout: a systematic review","volume":"116","author":"SD Burri","year":"2022","journal-title":"Physiother (United Kingdom)"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0313730.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"816","DOI":"10.1177\/160940690300200201","article-title":"\u201cClear as mud\u201d: Toward generic qualitative research","volume":"2","author":"K Caelli","year":"2003","journal-title":"Int J Qual Methods"},{"key":"pone.0313730.ref011","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Social Research Methods","author":"A. 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A Team Approach to Mitigate Burnout in Critical Care","volume":"32","author":"J Jun","year":"2020","journal-title":"Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am"},{"key":"pone.0313730.ref023","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"137","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-63135-2_11","volume-title":"Health Promotion in Health Care\u2013Vital Theories and Research","author":"J. 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