Physiotherapy for people with mental health problems in Sub-Saharan African countries: a systematic review.
Davy Vancampfort, Brendon Stubbs, Michel Probst and 1 others
PMID 29423279WHAT IT FOUND
Aerobic exercise reported improvements in depression, quality of life, self-esteem, body image and emotional stress.
Dance and body-awareness work reported lower post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression. Most screened Sub-Saharan mental health policies did not define a physiotherapy role.
Key findings
01Only two of 22 screened mental health policies or plans included a physiotherapy component.
02Aerobic exercise reduced depression and improved psychological quality of life, self-esteem, body image and emotional stress in studies of people with HIV, and moderate or high intensity exercise reduced depressive symptoms in depressed adults.
03A qualitative study reported reductions in post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety and depression following dance movement and body awareness related exercises.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only PubMed was searched, so relevant articles might be missed. The available literature was too limited for a rigorous meta-analysis. Only five studies were included, with 241 participants total, and two of four randomized controlled trials were rated high methodological quality. Ten policies were not found and one was written in Arabic and not screened, so the policy picture may be incomplete. The included randomized controlled trials were only in people with HIV or depressed adults, so the review covers a narrow range of mental health problems.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that physiotherapy is established treatment for mental health problems in Sub-Saharan Africa. The review found only five included studies with 241 participants, three randomized controlled trials were in people with HIV, and two of four randomized controlled trials were rated high methodological quality.