ROLE OF PHYSIOTHERAPY IN MENTAL HEALTH: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

L.P. Montealegre Esmeral¹, E.M. Amador Rodero¹, D. Fuentes Navarro¹, J.C. Rincon¹, V. Zarache Villareal¹, T. Pulido Iriarte¹

Background: A physiotherapist is a competent professional in the field of health promotion and disease prevention, as well as in the habilitation and integral rehabilitation of people with physical and mental disability based on the worldwide-accepted principle "there is no health, without mental health". The human body is one of the most complex systems that is believed to be known, efforts have been made in order to try to understand it better, models have been built or applied metaphors that simplify it even though it could induce error respecting that each and every model can have different perspectives. However, these models facilitate the organization of ideas to simplify them towards a reality that is comfortable, in this sense, it is understood that mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual is aware of their own abilities, can face the normal daily basis stress, can work productively and fruitful and is able to make a contribution to the community.

Purpose: The aim of this research is to review the available literature regarding the role of the physiotherapist in population’s mental health.

Methods: A systematic review of the scientific literature was performed through Internet access, using the terms Mesh: physiotherapy, mental health, physical therapy, physiotherapy and mental health, physical therapy and mental health, physiotherapy, mental health, physical therapy, physiotherapy and mental health, physical therapy and mental health. In the databases: Dialnet, clinical key Pubmed, Pedro, Medline, Ovid. The inclusion criteria included: articles in English, Spanish and Portuguese language published from the year 2013 to date, products were selected from systematic reviews, clinical trials, government bulletins, government agencies supported-press releases, and only included articles applied in humans.  SIGN tool was used to determine the validity of the selected articles, as well as the Criteria Guide to assess the quality of qualitative research (checklist).

Results: The study showed that in relation with physiotherapy and mental health, the following techniques: Aerobic exercises, resistance exercises, progressive muscle stimulation, coordination, balance, body awareness technique and even dance have demonstrated a positive influence on the improvement of the functional capacities, the mental, physical and social performance of individuals with pathologies that compromise their Mental Health. Physical exercise helps in many ways:
(1) it prevents depression or the development of mental problems,
(2) it has an antidepressant effect,
(3) people suffering from depression or schizophrenia are less likely to quit exercise when it is supervised by a physiotherapist and
(4) improves the quality of life and self-esteem.

Conclusion(s): Different studies show the influence of physiotherapy on mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, eating disorders, bipolar disorders, dementia, etc. From these themes, it is reflected how physiotherapy meets the current needs of society with respect to mental health.

Implications: Contribute to the scientific evidence, available information about the importance of physical therapy in mental health at national and international level, to serve as a reference for planning and formulating the intervention in this área.

Funding, acknowledgements: special thanks to Universidad Libre´s Physiotherapy program

Keywords: mental health, Physiotherapy, exercise

Topic: Mental health

Did this work require ethics approval? No

Institution: Libre University

Committee: Ethics Comitte of Libre University

Reason: is a systematic or narrative review