Anxiety and depression in individuals with Parkinson’s disease: Perspectives of the nurse specialist

Parkinson’s disease nurse specialists (PDNSs) are often the key healthcare professionals involved in the management of Parkinson’s disease (PD), with regards to both motor and psychological aspects of PD. The voice of the PDNS however is not often heard. This study sought to investigate the experiences of PDNSs recognising and managing psychological difficulties in people with PD. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain their perspective and subsequently analysed using thematic analysis. Five overarching themes were developed summarising participants’ experiences: (i) ‘You can’t tell whether it’s related to the condition’ - Understanding the causes of psychological difficulties; (ii) ‘The resources just aren’t there’ – Accessing psychological support; (iii) ‘Just listening to people is really important to me’ – How PDNSs recognise and manage psychological difficulties; (iv) ‘It’s an area that I can’t profess we completely address at all’ – Management could be improved; and (v) ‘I just get on with it’ – Resilience of PDNSs. These findings indicated a recognised need for psychological input both for PDNSs and people with PD.