MENTAL HEALTH

Occupational therapy

In

Mental health

In Mental Health set-up, an Occupational Therapist helps to:

Ø Improve self-care activities like dressing, grooming etc.

Ø Improve interest and motivation for performing life roles.

Ø Improve cognitive functions like attention, concentration etc

Ø Improve verbal and non-verbal communication

Ø Improve social skills.

Ø Improve time management skills.

Ø Improve work behaviours

Ø Explore vocational rehabilitation possibilities

Who would benefit from occupational therapy?

Most psychiatric illness lead to functional deficits in the patients which affect their daily living skills or at least doesn’t allow them to perform their life roles at optimal level.

They may have problems like poor social skills, lack of interest, in ability/ no motivation to work, low confidence or self-esteem, poor decision making skills which can affect their performance.

These are the core areas addressed in occupational therapy.

Following are examples of diagnoses which can benefit from our services:

v Schizophrenia (acute AND in stable or chronic phase)

v Mood disorders (especially depression for their negative symptoms)

v Obsessive-compulsive disorders (time management)

v Substance abuse (work behaviours, coping skills)

v Anxiety disorder(stress management and assertiveness skills)

v Other psychotic and neurotic disorders

v Children with autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, mental retardation.

How does occupational therapy work?

              A thorough assessment of the deficits in performance components and knowing the performance components and knowing the performance context helps an occupational therapist to determine specific problems and then set relevant goals for each patient to maximize functional performance. Using their knowledge of activity analysis and using principles based on various frames of references like developmental approach, cognitive disability approach, model of human occupation, behavioural approach, psycho-dynamic approach, cognitive-behavioural approach etc the therapist then formulates a treatment program in coalition with the patient and the family members keeping their expectations and values in mind.

 Treatment usually is in the form of activities which would be purposeful. Goal-oriented and relevant for the patient considering his/her cultural.