Intervention of the President of the Portuguese Bar Association on Physiotherapy in Mental Health

Intervenção do Bastonário sobre a Fisioterapia na Saúde Mental

The President of the Portuguese Institute of Physiotherapists considers that "(...) despite the legislative measures, the responses implemented are still insufficient, with remarkable geographical asymmetries and there is a clear lack of health professionals integrated in the mental health teams, as well as an omission of the inclusion of physiotherapists in these teams". 
 
In a message video for the conference "Current and Future Challenges for Physiotherapy in Mental Health", organised by the Portuguese Association of Physiotherapists APFISIO, António Lopes underlined that, although Physiotherapists and other health professionals may be unaware of the role and benefits of intervention, the scope of Physiotherapy practice in Mental Health and Psychiatry "is holistic, eclectic and dynamic - as it is constantly informed by evidence - and, as such, is able to respond to the health needs of people and society."
 
In the intervention, transmitted on the 22nd of October, which took place in the Escola Superior de Saúde - Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, the President of the Board of Physiotherapy António Lopes made a presentation on the various dimensions of the work of Physiotherapy in Mental Health and on the specific theoretical, practical and interpersonal skills that Physiotherapists should have, mentioning that one of the reasons for the benefits of the Physiotherapy interventions not always reaching the users with mental health problems is the lack or inadequate training of Physiotherapists in this area. 
 
Despite this, according to the declarations presented at the time of registration in the Order, of the more than nine thousand already registered, "around 700 physiotherapists state that they have obtained additional qualifications in the area of mental health, and around 600 physiotherapists state that they have, or have had, clinical activity in mental health".

In order to improve this panorama, he underlined the commitment of the Order of Physiotherapists to promote the access to physiotherapy care in the area of mental health, to support and value those who already work in this area and to study solutions, together with the Higher Education Institutions. He also recalled, in this context, the process of creating a framework for Physiotherapy professional specialties in Portugal, which is currently underway, guaranteeing: "We will work to promote Physiotherapy in Mental Health! 

Portuguese Physiotherapists Order marks the World Mental Health Day

DIA MUNDIAL SAUDE MENTAL

World Mental Health Day is celebrated annually on 10 October, a date established by the World Federation for Mental Health (WHOF). Today, the World Health Organisation also recognises and marks this day. This year's theme is "Making Mental Health and well-being a global priority".

O World Mental Health Report of the WHO, published in June 2022, revealed that even before the pandemic, in 2019, around 1 billion people were struggling with some form of mental disorder.

Acting in Mental Health Physiotherapy

In this World Mental Health Day, the Board of the Order salutes the work developed by Physiotherapists in the area of Mental Health.

In Portugal, from 8905 Physiotherapists registered in the Order, 693 refer having obtained additional qualifications in Mental Health and 598 refer having clinical activity in Mental Health (graph 1. distribution by districts). There are also 185 physiotherapists with additional qualifications and clinical activity in Mental Health, according to the information extracted from the registration form.

Note: data does not include members who have suspended or cancelled their membership.

grafico_saude_mental

Mental Health Physiotherapy is a transversal and specific area of Physiotherapy, which operates in different health, mental health, psychiatric and psychosomatic medicine environments. It aims to optimise wellbeing through health education strategies and the promotion of 1) body awareness, movement and emotions 3) functionality, 4) exercise and physical activity, always integrating the physical and mental and relational dimensions.

Physiotherapy can act on Mental Health, namely on the relationship between somatic disorders and psychological problems (sleep disorders, fear related to pain, psychological stress and depressed mood associated with a clinical condition) in the relationship between mild mental disorders and major chronic non-communicable diseases (anxiety and mild depression associated with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes and cancer); in the relationship between somatic disorders and mild mental health disorders (depression associated with chronic pain post-traumatic stress disorder associated with fibromyalgia and anxiety associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and in the specialised approach to severe mental illness (major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and addictive behaviours and addictions) in psychiatric units/hospitals.

Pedro Maciel Barbosa

Specialist physiotherapist at the Matosinhos Local Health Unit Sub-coordinator for Primary Health Care, Matosinhos Local Health Unit Visiting Assistant Professor at the Porto School of Health Member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Health - SNS Member of the General Council of the Order of Physiotherapists

Carlos Sand

Carlos Areia has been a physiotherapist since 2013, and has worked in various hospitals, clinics and clubs in both Portugal and the UK. He began his academic career at Oxford University in 2016, where he led a clinical trial comparing physiotherapy vs surgery in anterior cruciate injuries in 32 hospitals in England. In 2018 she moved to the neurosciences department, where she developed her own studies on remote monitoring of vital signs, which were implemented during the pandemic. Here he discovered his passion for data, and in 2022, he joined Digital Science as a Data Scientist. He completed his PhD earlier this year, and has more than 60 publications in journals such as The Lancet, BMJ, Cochrane, among others. He is also an honorary lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and a consultant in clinical research.

Eduardo José Brazete Carvalho Cruz

PhD in Physiotherapy from the University of Brighton, UK. Post-Doctorate in Epidemiology from the National School of Public Health at the New University of Lisbon.
Coordinator of the Studies and Planning Office of the Order of Physiotherapists. Coordinating Professor of the Physiotherapy Department of the School of Health of the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal (ESS-IPS). President of the ESS-IPS Technical-Scientific Council. Coordinator of the Physiotherapy Department at ESS-IPS. Integrated Researcher at the Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC) (a partnership between FCM-UNL, the National School of Public Health, the University of Évora, the Lisbon Institute of Global Mental Health and Santo Espírito Hospital, Terceira Island, Azores).

Sara Souto Miranda

Sara Souto Miranda has a bachelor's and master's degree in physiotherapy from the University of Aveiro, and a postgraduate qualification in adult respiratory physiotherapy from the same institution. In 2023 she completed her double doctorate in Rehabilitation Sciences/Health, Medicine and Life Sciences at the Universities of Aveiro and Maastricht (Netherlands) and is currently working as a technical-scientific advisor to the Studies and Planning Office (GEP) of the Order of Physiotherapists, and as a guest lecturer at the Piaget Institute in Vila Nova de Gaia. As a member of the Respiratory Research and Rehabilitation Laboratory at the University of Aveiro (Lab3R), she has carried out applied research in which she has assessed and treated patients with respiratory pathology, having taken part in 6 research projects. Throughout her career she has published 19 scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals with an impact factor, 1 book chapter and more than 50 abstracts in conference proceedings. She was a research volunteer at the Ciro rehabilitation centre (Centre for expertise in chronic organ failure) in the Netherlands, and is currently a member of the Guideline Methodology Network of European Respiratory Society. She was honoured by European Lung Foundation e European Respiratory Society for carrying out patient-centred research, by the Directorate General for Higher Education with a merit grant for his master's degree, and by the Ciro Centre with a grant to support research abroad.

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