Reach Distance and Movement Strategy Patterns During the Functional Reach Test of Psychiatric Patients

[Purpose] Ability in activities of daily living of psychiatric patients is decreased because of postural control and voluntary movement disorders, and the quality of life of inpatients is also decreased. As preliminary research for evaluating standing balance of psychiatric patients, the purpose of this study was to investigate reach distance and movement strategy while subjects performed the functional reach test. [Subjects] Thirty-eight psychiatric patients and 38 healthy elderly control volunteers participated in this study. [Methods] Reach distance and movement strategy patterns were measured while subjects performed the functional reach test. [Results] The reach distance of the psychiatric patients was significantly shorter than that of the controls. The hip strategy was most often used by both patients and controls. Patients were more likely to select the ankle movement strategy than controls. [Conclusion] Based on the above findings, we speculate that the hip strategy is the ideal movement strategy for safely extending the reach distance of both psychiatric patients and controls. However, psychiatric patients were more likely to select the ankle movement strategy than controls.