Strength-Based Goal Setting Allows Veterinary Students to Reframe Their Neurodivergent Traits as Strengths: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Many neurodivergent (ND) veterinary students report concerns regarding stigma, reluctance to disclose their difficulties to staff or peers, and poor experiences on placements. The limited support for these students aims to reduce disadvantages instead of recognizing potential advantages arising from neurodiversity. Character strengths identification, use, and development have been shown to increase the well-being of ND people, and strength-based goal setting (SBGS) allows for an asset-based approach to planning and achievement. However, SBGS has not been investigated in the context of ND veterinary medicine students. This study used semistructured interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to investigate the following two research questions: (a) What is the lived experience of ND students in a veterinary medicine course? (b) What is the experience of participating in a strength-based workshop in a ND student-only environment? Out of 17 ND veterinary students who took part in the workshop, four participated in semistructured interviews to share their experience. IPA identified three group experiential themes with seven subthemes: (a) From outsider to in-group, (b) being ND is not a deficit but can be a strength, and (c) the positive impact of realistic structured goal setting. The ND-only workshop provided a "safe space" that allowed participants to "unmask" and reflect on their ND experiences. Identifying their signature strengths validated and reframed perceptions of ND traits. Rather than viewing neurodivergence as a weakness, these traits were viewed as overuse of a strength (e.g., rudeness as the overuse of honesty), allowing ND students the opportunity for self-regulation and control.