Patients' perspectives of navigating support following a diagnosis of functional neurological disorder: an interpretive phenomenological study.

Authors

Bethan Phillips, Lucy Piggin, Craig Roberts

Published in

Disability and rehabilitation. Pages 1-13. Sep 23, 2026. Epub Sep 23, 2026.

Abstract

Currently in the United Kingdom, service provision for functional neurological disorder (FND) varies greatly, while research has suggested difficult experiences of receiving care by those diagnosed with FND. To improve understanding of the needs of this client group, this research aimed to explore the post-diagnostic experiences of people with FND navigating support within the NHS.
Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used on data collected from eight semi-structured interviews with adults living with a diagnosis of FND.
Four interconnected themes emerged from the participants' accounts: 1) the complexity of a diagnosis, 2) deserted with a diagnosis, 3) journey towards disillusionment, and 4) specialist support: a positive ending?, highlighting subjective, complex post-diagnostic experiences related to seeking support in the NHS.
The findings provide new insights into the experiences of support-seeking in a group of people with FND, its impact on their relationships with healthcare professionals and health services, as well the transformative impact specialist support can have.

PMID:
42773992
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 23 Sep 2026.

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