World Mental Health Day aims to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world to mobilise efforts in support of mental health. Physiotherapists play a significant role in improving the wellbeing of those with mental health conditions, through facilitating physical activity, pain management and social participation. Physiotherapists are also active in health promotion, encouraging people of all ages and abilities to participate in exercise as a way of maintaining good mental health.

There is a significant amount of high-quality clinical research to guide the physiotherapy management of people with mental health conditions. PEDro currently indexes over 1,000 clinical practice guidelines, systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials evaluating physiotherapy treatment for people with mental health conditions.

You may like to review the following practice guidelines:

• 2023 National Perinatal Mental Health Guideline
• 2020 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists clinical practice guidelines for mood disorders
• 2018 European Psychiatric Association guidance on physical activity as a treatment for severe mental illness: a meta-review of the evidence and position statement (supported by the International Organization of Physical Therapists in Mental Health)

You can search PEDro to find high-quality clinical research evaluating physiotherapy management for specific mental health conditions by entering the name of the condition in the “abstract and title” field. You can further restrict your search to a specific population by selecting a category in the subdiscipline field, such as “gerontology”, “paediatrics” or “continence and women’s health”.