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Strength-based physical therapy for anxiety and depressive symptoms in a war-exposed adult: a case report
Volodymyr Maksym1, Vira Budzyn1, Olena Khanikiants2
1Department of Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, Lviv State University of Physical Culture named after Ivan Boberskyi, 8 Dudayeva St., Lviv 79005; Kostiushka St. 11, Lviv 79007, Ukraine.
Background:
Anxiety and depressive symptoms are common in war-exposed populations. Resistance exercise shows growing evidence for mental health outcomes, but practical implementation details are often underreported.
Case:
A 32-year-old male in a civilian period after military service reported 6 months of severe anxiety (7/10) with poor tolerance of crowded places, depressive symptoms (7/10), insomnia requiring diphenhydramine, tremor, poor appetite and widespread pain. Baseline Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scores were 27 and 30, respectively.
Intervention:
A fully supervised, gym-based, strength-oriented physical therapy programme was delivered three times weekly for ~ 6 months using patient-centred autoregulation, mixed repetition ranges and readiness-guided rest.
Outcome:
At ~ 6 months, BDI-II decreased to 7 and BAI to 8; sleep normalised, pain resolved and social functioning improved. No recurrence was reported at ~ 12 months.
Conclusion:
This case supports the feasibility of patient-centred resistance-based physical therapy as an adjunct within multidisciplinary care.
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