[Current status of physical and sports therapy in psychiatry]

To this day, sports and movement therapy hold a marginal position in psychiatric rehabilitation. In order to survey the psychiatric facilities as regards personnel and space available, questionnaires had been sent to 260 hospitals. From evaluation of the data received from 121 clinics (46,5%), a therapist-bed-ratio of 1:125 was obtained. It was found that this ratio worsens with increasing numbers of hospital beds. More favourable conditions are present in special clinics in the fields of child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction, and psychosomatics. A majority (85%) of the staff administering sports and movement therapy do not hold additional qualifications specific to this area of work. Movement and sports therapists frequently are not yet included in the therapeutic team. An unfavourable situation is present in terms of space and equipment available. In order to ensure adequate therapeutic work, changes are needed as regards staffing, space, and contents.