Concerning Occupational Therapy In Mental Health

By Edna Booker


Mental health management is a journey. It requires input from various team members who include the patient, the therapist, social workers, care givers, counselors, support providers, nurses, doctors, aides and teachers. Every member in that team has a role to play and the goals each one has culminates to improvement of a patient life quality and degree of enjoyment. These they achieve by pinpointing and meeting the skills and behavior change required to get to this. Below is an outline of the significance of occupational therapy in mental health.

Occupational therapy is usually misunderstood in this journey. The occupational therapy American association outlines its primary aim as to offer support and facilitate each person health and input in life by engaging in occupations. By engaging in a meaningful activity, the patient achieves a sense of accomplishment, their self-esteem goes up and overall well-being which is usually affected following the illness or injury.

By occupation, do not imagine only work. This could mean making a painting, taking a course in the community during your free time, socializing with members in the community, preparation of a meal, working on your hygiene and even managing your own finances. They empower people to lead purposeful lives which bring them satisfaction.

The purpose of this psychotherapy can best be outlined as to live to the fullest. Every person has a right to this. When they are managing their clients, this professionals focus on the strengths, needs, interest and abilities of the person but also the social, cultural and physical environment in the settings they are living in. The therapist is able to understand the various activities the patient is involved in which can be termed occupational and the aspects in his or environment interacting to influence his or her state of mental condition.

The psychotherapists believe in taking into account every factor of a person during treatment regardless of whether the problem is mental or physical in nature. The settings they can be found include hospitals, nursing facilities, intermediary care facilities, home health, outpatient clinics, neonatal ICUs, the workplace and community. Those who have specialized in handling mental health patients are based in residential hospitals, the community or private hospital outpatient department.

Different assessments are conducted to gain the necessary information from the patient. After that a personalized profile on occupation of the client is put together. This is what is utilized to set goals and come up with a treatment plan. Some of the areas assessed include work, play, participation in social activities, interaction and communication skills, activity demands and education. The cognitive and mental processing skills and how motor skills are process are also assessed and many more.

The interventions which can be implemented in treatment process include cognitive rehabilitation, training on life skills, supported education, supported employment and interventions on life balancing. Modalities like biofeedback and training on interpersonal and social skill are intervention too.

While the work of this therapist may overlay that of other members in the team, they provide unique clinical and theoretical contribution towards treatment and recovery team. For this reason, they are to be taken as a dynamic part of the integrated and comprehensive treatment program.




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