Mental health content in the physiotherapy undergraduate curriculum in South Africa

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Background: Knowledge about mental health in physiotherapy practice is essential as mental health can impact physical health. Little is known about the mental health content in the South African physiotherapy undergraduate programme. Objectives: Our study explored the mental health content in the undergraduate physiotherapy programme at eight universities and the perceptions of academic staff at an identified training institution in South Africa and stakeholders about the relevance of mental health in the undergraduate physiotherapy programme. Method: Our study employed a concurrent-mixed method design, which consisted of: (1) the administration of a survey to academic leaders or lecturers undertaking mental health teaching at universities and (2) an online interview that included stakeholders and a focus group to gauge perceptions of academic staff at an identified institution in South Africa. Results: Seven of eight universities participated in our study. All the universities had a psychology module and agreed that it is crucial to have mental health content in the curriculum. There is diversity in the mental health content between the universities. Conclusion: There is a need for consistency in the mental health content at all universities to ensure that all students receive the same skill set to have an impact on the quality of care. Clinical implications: There is a need to include mental health content at universities offering theoretical and practical undergraduate programmes.

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