Strength-based physical therapy for anxiety and depressive symptoms in a war-exposed adult: a case report

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.