The Impact of Physiotherapy Interventions on the Elderly Population with Mental Health Conditions at Chainama Hills College Hospital in Zambia. A Pre-Post Single Sample Study Design
Background: Physical functional decline is common among elderly individuals with mental disorders, worsening their symptoms. Physiotherapy interventions have shown some evidence in improving physical function and mental health outcomes in this population. This study aimed to assess the impact of physiotherapy interventions on the elderly with mental health conditions at Chainama Hills College Hospital in Zambia. Methods: A pre-post single sample design was used to track patient progress over six weeks, with 10 physiotherapy sessions. The study population (N = 30) comprised of all elderly individuals with mental health conditions, encompassing both men and women, who were hospitalized during the research period. The Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living and the six-minute walk test were evaluated before and after the intervention. The IBM SPSS version 26 was used to analyze data and results were presented as mean ± SD with a 95% confidence interval. The variables were described in terms of their mean, SD, and range. A significance level of 0.05 was used for a paired T-test to detect changes and multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with mental health. Results: Following the intervention, the percentage of participants achieving full function and independence increased significantly to 96.7% from the initial 73.3%, supported by a 95% CI = [0.82 - 0.99]. There was also a notable decrease in the proportion of individuals experiencing moderate impairment, dropping from 26.7% to just 3.3%, with a corresponding 95% CI = [0.00 - 0.17]. Conclusion: The findings derived from this study illustrate an enhancement in the aspects of participants’ overall health and functional condition, including blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate. Consequently, physiotherapy exercises can be employed as a tactic to ameliorate the functional status and physical well-being of older individuals afflicted with mental disorders in Zambia.
References
[1]
Dziechciaż, M. and Filip, R. (2014) Biological Psychological and Social Determinants of Old Age: Bio-Psycho-Social Aspects of Human Aging. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, 21, 835-838. https://doi.org/10.5604/12321966.1129943
[2]
Jones, S.A. (2006) Ageing to Arrhythmias: Conundrums of Connections in the Ageing Heart. The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 58, 1571-1576. https://doi.org/10.1211/jpp.58.12.0002
[3]
Lima, M. and Ivbijaro, G. (2013). Mental Health and Wellbeing of Older People: Opportunities and Challenges. Mental Health in Family Medicine, 10, 125-127. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc3822658/
[4]
World Health Organization (2022) World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240049338
[5]
Whiteford, H.A. Ferrari, A.J. Degenhardt, L. Feigin, V. and Vos, T. (2015) The Global Burden of Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Disorders: An Analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. PLOS ONE, 10, e0116820. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0116820
[6]
Grover, S., Dutt, A. and Avasthi, A. (2009) An Overview of Indian Research in Depression. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 52, S178-S188. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.69231
[7]
Moyo, N., Nanyangwe-Moyo, T., Mapoma, C.C., Munkombwe, B., Phiri, M., Banda, A. and Qiao, X. (2022) The Population of Zambia: Past, Present and Future. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1617840/v1
[8]
Munakampe, M.N. (2020) Strengthening Mental Health Systems in Zambia. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 14, Article No. 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-020-00360-z
[9]
De Mendonça Lima, C.A. and Ivbijaro, G. (2013) Mental Health and Wellbeing of Older People: Opportunities and Challenges. Mental Health in Family Medicine, 10, 125-127.
[10]
Logsdon, R.G., McCurry, S.M., Pike, K.C. and Teri, L. (2009) Making Physical Activity Accessible to Older Adults with Memory Loss: A Feasibility Study. The Gerontologist, 49, S94-S99. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnp082
[11]
Anderson, E. and Durstine, J.L. (2019) Physical Activity, Exercise, and Chronic Diseases: A Brief Review.Sports Medicine and Health Science, 1, 3-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smhs.2019.08.006
[12]
Schuch, F.B. and Vancampfort, D. (2021) Physical Activity, Exercise, and Mental Disorders: It Is Time to Move on. Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 43, 177-184. https://doi.org/10.47626/2237-6089-2021-0237
[13]
Firth, J., Rosenbaum, S., Stubbs, B., Gorczynski, P., Yung, A.R. and Vancampfort, D. (2016) Motivating Factors and Barriers Towards Exercise in Severe Mental Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Psychological Medicine, 46, 2869-2881. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291716001732
[14]
Nikolajsen, H., Sandal, L.F., Juhl, C.B., Troelsen, J. and Juul-Kristensen, B. (2021) Barriers to, and Facilitators of, Exercising in Fitness Centres among Adults with and without Physical Disabilities: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, Article 7341. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147341
[15]
Wong, M.Y.C., Ou, K.L., Chung, P.K., Chui, K.Y.K. and Zhang, C.Q. (2023) The Relationship between Physical Activity, Physical Health, and Mental Health among Older Chinese Adults: A Scoping Review. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, Article 914548. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.914548
[16]
Mahindru, A., Patil, P. and Agrawal, V. (2022) Role of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Review. Cureus, 15, e33475. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.33475
[17]
Alvarez, E., Garvin, A., Germaine, N., Guidoni, L. and Schnurr, M. (2021) Use of Mental Health Interventions by Physiotherapists to Treat Individuals with Chronic Conditions: A Systematic Scoping Review. Physiotherapy Canada, 74, 35-43. https://doi.org/10.3138/ptc-2020-0066
[18]
InformedHealth.Org (2020) In Brief: Physical Therapy. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/nbk561514/
[19]
Nkhata, L.A., Brink, Y., Ernstzen, D. and Louw, Q.A. (2021) Nurses Back Pain Beliefs, Coping Strategies and Factors Associated with Participant Activation for Self-Management of Back Pain. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 77, 3772-3783. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14890
[20]
Dor-Haim, H., Barak, S., Horowitz, M., Yaakobi, E., Katzburg, S., Swissa, M. and Lotan, C. (2018) Improvement in Cardiac Dysfunction with a Novel Circuit Training Method Combining Simultaneous Aerobic-Resistance Exercises. A Randomized Trial. PLOS ONE, 13, e0188551. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188551
[21]
American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand (1998) The Recommended Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory and Muscular Fitness, and Flexibility in Healthy Adults. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 30, 975-991. https://doi.org/10.1249/00005768-199806000-00032
[22]
Edemekong, P.F., Bomgaars, D.L., Sukumaran, S., et al. (2023) Activities of Daily Living. StatPearls, Treasure Island. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/nbk470404/
[23]
Marquez, D.X., Aguiñaga, S., Vásquez, P.M., Conroy, D.E., Erickson, K.I., Hillman, C., Stillman, C.M., Ballard, R.M., Sheppard, B.B., Petruzzello, S.J., King, A.C. and Powell, K.E. (2020) A Systematic Review of Physical Activity and Quality of Life and Well-Being. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 10, 1098-1109. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibz198
[24]
Zhang, Y. and Jiang, X. (2023) The Effects of Physical Activity and Exercise Therapy on Frail Elderly Depression: A Narrative Review. Medicine, 102, e34908. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000034908
[25]
Aslantekin Özçoban, F., Ergün, S. and Erkal Aksoy, Y. (2022) Effects of Health Literacy Education on Adaptation to Pregnancy, Self-Efficacy, Fear of Childbirth and Health Literacy in Turkish Pregnant Women: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Health & Social Care in the Community, 30, e537-e549. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13690
[26]
Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, Kohl HW, I.I.I. and Cook, H.D. (2013) Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School. Physical Activity and Physical Education: Relationship to Growth, Development, and Health. National Academies Press, Washington DC. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/nbk201497/
[27]
Warburton, E.R., Nicol, C.W. and Bredin, S.D. (2006). Health Benefits of Physical Activity: The Evidence. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 174, 801-809. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.051351
[28]
Defar, S., Abraham, Y., Reta, Y., Deribe, B., Jisso, M., Yeheyis, T., Kebede, K.M., Beyene, B. and Ayalew, M. (2023) Health Related Quality of Life among People with Mental Illness: The Role of Socio-Clinical Characteristics and Level of Functional Disability. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, Article 1134032. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1134032
[29]
Sayadi, A.R., Khodadadi, A., Akbari, A. and Abbasabadi, Z. (2022) The Effect of Movement Therapy with Progressive Muscle Relaxation on the Depression Rate of Patients Admitted to the Psychiatric Ward of Moradi Rafsanjan Educational and Medical Center in 2021. Journal of Medicine and Life, 16, 129-134. https://doi.org/10.25122/jml-2021-0436
[30]
Wickramarachchi, B., Torabi, M.R. and Perera, B. (2023) Effects of Physical Activity on Physical Fitness and Functional Ability in Older Adults. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 9. https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214231158476
[31]
Chileshe, K.M., Munalula-Nkandu, E., Shula, H., Nkhata, L.A. and Simpamba, M. (2016) Identification of Ethical Issues Encountered by Physiotherapy Practitioners in Managing Patients with Low Back Pain at Two Major Hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia. Journal of Preventive and Rehabilitative Medicine, 1, 74-81.
