The aim of this study is to know the beliefs, perceptions and role concerning the physical therapist in mental health from mental health services professional staff in Spain.
A national survey has been carried out to mental health services professional staff in Spain. An ad hoc survey was developed and a pilot study was conducted with a small sample to assess time and comprehension. Qualitative analysis of the data was performed with Atlas.ti program.
The survey was answered by 370 clinicians, whose average age was 37,5 years old with 14,3 years of average related to working experience. The 88% of them were physiotherapists, 6% psychologists and the other 4% was composed of occupational therapists, social workers, social integration services and primary care physicians. 33,8% worked in a private center, 14,7% in public services, 10,4% in private social sanitary centers, 9%in primary care, 9% in public sociocommunity centers and 3,5% in specific mental health centers; being their usual working field: 74,1 % musculoskeletal issues, 43,5% neurology, 37,3 % geriatrics and the other 11,4% were composed by physical therapists in paediatric, gynaecological, respiratory and mental health fields.
It was stated that: 92% of them said that the figure of a physical therapist was non-existent in mental health settings and 41% was unaware of their existence. Once they were aware, 78% considered a must to include the physical therapist figure in their working teams.
When it comes to physical therapy in mental health education, 69,5% declared they have never received and 65,1% have never heard about physical therapists in mental health issues during their degree or postgraduate.
The perception of physiotherapists in mental health focuses on objectives like quality of life, functional recovery, and physical health promotion, but not directly on mental health issues. Physical therapists are seen as holistic professionals, yet they remain underrecognized and underdeveloped due to a lack of education. Key therapeutic tools identified include therapeutic exercise, the therapeutic relationship, and a pedagogical approach
We can conclude that the role of this professional profile is unknown by the surveyed. Despite being perceived as a need of essential importance, the real image of physical therapists in mental health is still vague. In fact, a big interest was shown, and it seems to have a bright future although education is considered underdeveloped.
1- Greater awareness of the physical therapist's role and diverse areas of expertise is needed.
2- Including Physical Therapy in Mental Health in health-related curricula is essential, regardless of whether further postgraduate education is pursued.
3- Neglecting the potential benefits of Physical Therapy in Mental Health by the public, health system managers, or even health professionals denies patients and their families their fundamental right to improve or recover from mental health conditions.
education
professional development
