Occupational Therapy's Role in Mental Health Promotion, Prevention, & Intervention With Children and Adults
OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE - Children, teens and adults who experience symptoms of mental health may be challenged in the following areas of occupational performance:
Social Participation
• Isolation due to a loss of interest/enjoyment, feelings of inadequacy, and low energy.
• Family stress and tension can result from the youth’s social withdrawal.
• May avoid social situations due to fear of being in an unfamiliar setting, embarrassing themselves, or having a panic attack
• May “flee” when uncomfortable
• Can appear irritable and unapproachable to other people (children, teens, and adults)
• May choose to withdraw as a way to manage symptoms
• Overall discomfort interferes with enjoyment of social activities
ADL
• Changes in eating patterns
• Loss of interest in self-care, such as bathing regularly and/ or wearing clean clothes.
• Excessive worry, poor concentration, slowed information processing, and fatigue can disrupt daily routines and the ability to carry out bathing, toileting, dressing, and eating tasks
• May demonstrate poor initiation and low motivation
Education
• Difficulty with concentration and other cognitive tasks interferes with engaging in and completing assignments.
• May be labeled as “lazy” or disinterested.
• May refuse to attend school, complain of feeling ill often, or ask to leave early.
• Potential for social isolation at recess and in the cafeteria
• Difficulty concentrating and processing information can interfere with activity engagement, ability to understand and follow instructions, and completion of assignments
• May lose train of thought due to intrusion of worrisome thoughts
• Generally avoids speaking up in class or calling attention to self
Work
• Similar cognitive challenges as demonstrated in school.
• May appear disinterested in tasks.
• May arrive late or not at all.
• Slow or inadequate work, e.g., may misunderstand directions, leave out steps, etc.
• May avoid work settings where there is a need to interact with the public and/or the environment is busy and unpredictable
Play/Leisure
• May show disinterest in previously enjoyed leisure activities.
• Tendency to engage in familiar occupations, either alone or with a good friend • May find it hard to relax and enjoy themselves
Sleep/Rest
• Disruptions in sleep patterns, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, add to constant fatigue
• Can be disrupted due to worry, which leads to daytime fatigue
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Occupational therapy’s distinct value is to improve health and quality of life through facilitating participation and engagement in occupations, the meaningful, necessary, and familiar activities of everyday life. Occupational therapy is client-centered, achieves positive outcomes, and is cost-effective.
"The practice of occupational therapy, like the recovery model, is based on the philosophy and evidence that individuals diagnosed with mental health conditions can and do recover and lead meaningful, satisfying, and productive lives. It is the profession’s emphasis on a holistic approach to function, participation, and partnership that is used to help support people with mental illness to develop skills, engage in activities of interest, and meet individual recovery goals."
- The American Occupational Therapy Association
Reference:
https://www.aota.org/About-Occupational-Therapy/Professionals/MH/mental-health-recovery.aspx
