'If I Don't Have My Support Worker in the Room…': A Multi-perspective Mixed Methods Study of Remote Daily Living Support for Neurodivergent Young Adults.
Maria Löthberg, Eda Wirström, Jenny Meyer and 3 others
PMID 38837062WHAT IT FOUND
Support workers were far more interested in remote daily living support than the young adults they help.
Many service users feared losing the trust and practical presence of in-person visits, describing a 'body doubling' effect where having someone in the room was essential to getting tasks done.
Key findings
01Support workers expressed a much greater interest in continuing remote support (81-92%) compared to young service users (42-68%).
02Young adults described needing the physical presence of a support worker to initiate or complete tasks, a phenomenon referred to as 'body doubling'.
03Both groups viewed in-person meetings as necessary for building trust and observing subtle environmental or emotional cues that remote contact misses.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small, particularly for the focus groups, and participants were recruited via support workers, which may have biased responses toward those with positive relationships with their workers. The study did not measure outcomes or effectiveness; it only reports perceptions and attitudes. Participants were from Sweden, and the service model described (municipal housing support) may not directly translate to other healthcare systems or funding structures. No information was available on educational level or co-occurring conditions for the broader target population, limiting generalizability.
Declared interests
Funded by Karolinska Institute. No other conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the support workers' positive attitude toward remote support as evidence that it is acceptable or effective for clients. The data shows a significant gap in interest, with many young adults explicitly preferring in-person contact to maintain trust and receive practical assistance.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →