Integrating a Physical Therapy Program into Usual Care for Hospital Inpatients with Major Depressive Disorder: Findings from a Case Series

Background/Objectives: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability, yet physical therapy (PT) is underrepresented in hospital-based psychiatric care. While exercise is a known adjunctive treatment, specific evidence on functional, task-oriented interventions in acute settings remains scarce. This study explored changes in quality of life, depressive symptoms, pain, and self-efficacy in patients with MDD following a specialized hospital-based PT program focused on functional movement and autonomy. Methods: We conducted a prospective pre–post case series in the Short-Stay Psychiatric Unit of the Royo Villanova University Hospital (Zaragoza, Spain). We recruited seven adult patients with MDD via convenience sampling. The intervention consisted of a group-based PT program (two 45 min sessions/week during the hospital stay) utilizing task-oriented functional exercises targeting progressive strength, balance, and motor control designed to enhance self-efficacy through activities of daily living (ADLs), combined with health education. Outcomes included the EQ-5D-3L (quality of life), MADRS (depression), NRS (pain), GSE (self-efficacy), and GCPC-UN-ESU (satisfaction). Results: All seven participants (100%) exhibited a positive upward trend in self-perceived health status via the EQ-VAS (mean increase of 35 points). Six cases (85.7%) showed preliminary positive trends in the anxiety/depression dimension of the EQ-5D-3L, with the mean Single Index Value increasing from 0.310 to 0.683. Reductions in depressive symptom severity were observed in six participants, with several transitioning toward moderate or mild levels. Additionally, four patients reported descriptive reductions in pain intensity and showed favorable shifts in self-efficacy scores. Six participants expressed high satisfaction with the intervention. Conclusions: Integrating a hospital-based functional PT program with standard care may offer preliminary benefits for quality of life and reduce depressive symptoms in MDD patients. These findings suggest that task-oriented PT presents a feasible complementary approach for acute psychiatric admissions, although larger controlled trials are needed to confirm these exploratory results.