Thursday, July 2, 2015

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.

Occupation is not to be taken to mean only work. It includes time spent working on personal hygiene, preparation of a meal, attending a leisure course in the community and interactions with others too. The therapists improve the client ability to lead a meaningful live and derive satisfaction in it too.

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 professionals offering these services believe in approaching the treatment holistically whether the problem stems from mental health or physical health. They can be found in outpatient clinics, nursing facilities, intermediate care centers, hospitals, home health, neonatal ICUs, the workplace or community programs. The ones based on this condition work from residential hospitals, outpatient departments of private clinics and also mental health programs in the community.

The management of patients starts with relevant data collection done by carrying out a number of assessments. Once this is done, occupational profile of the patient is created. This is the tool to be used to come up with goals and a plan of treatment too. The assessments include work, education, leisure, play, motor dispensation skills and social participation level. Activity demands, client factors, interacting and communication skills and also cognitive-mental processing skills are assessed too.

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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