OT interventions in mental health

A thorough assessment will have led to a rounded picture of the individual service user, their hopes, motivators and aspirations

The main intervention modality offered by occupational therapists are therapeutic activities which are selected because they are meaningful to the service user and can be used to develop or maintain skills and contribute to the person’s health and wellbeing (Creek 2003). The occupational therapist can directly provide the activity and carry it out with the service user or alternatively may organise for another person or agency to provide the activity (Creek 2003). Occupational therapists will also carry out interventions which target the person’s social environment which can be changed to facilitate activity and occupational engagement. Examples of types on interventions are as follows:

direct provision of, or facilitating access to activity such as art and craft activities, creative activities, self-care activities, work activities, leisure activities, life-style activities, community outings or social activities
environmental adaptation e.g. changing or influencing the physical, cultural, institutional or social environments in order to facilitate occupational performance by, for example, providing education in community facilities about mental health
group or individual psycho-educational work e.g. anxiety management, anger management, assertion skills, dealing with hearing voices, recovery groups, lifestyle management
working with the service user to maintain their life role, main vocation and social relations e.g. homemaker, mother, carer, employee, friend
facilitating community integration in order to enable the service user to maintain their desired lifestyle
preventative interventions aimed at maintaining communities general mental health