Occupational Therapy Service in Mental Health - Essay Example

? Health Sciences and Medicine   “Occupational Therapy service in Mental Health” By Occupation Therapy as a Profession: The role of an occupational therapist is to assist patients regain their health and well – being, and maintain it so that they will be able to engage back in purposeful activities or occupations (Roche, 2010). The aim of their profession is to work and help children and adults alike who are facing mental, physical or social disabilities and challenges (Roche, 2010, The Nemours Foundation, 2012, and NHS, 2012). Occupational therapist also helps people from different age groups who have been suffering from various physical, mental, and social difficulties since birth, as well as individuals who became disabled due to accident, illness, ageing process, and undesirable lifestyle (Roche, 2010 and NHS, 2012). NHS (2012) states that an occupational therapist assists and treats the patient’s physical and psychiatric condition through purposeful activities that aims to prevent further disability. It is also their duty to bring back the independent functioning of patient’s activities of daily living (NHS, 2012 and The Nemours Foundation, 2012). Occupational therapists are working in a hospital setting; however, some of them are in the field visiting their clients and their respective careers to monitor their progress at home. It also the duty of an occupational therapist to analyse the effectiveness of the treatment course following the completion of the therapy (NHS, 2012). The NHS (2012) noted that it takes patience, ingenuity, determination, common sense, sound knowledge base, and enthusiasm to be considered as a registered occupational therapist. However, despite of the aforementioned qualities, it still requires the client’s interest to treatment to accomplish their objective in leading a full and satisfying life independently. Roche (2010) noted that typical activities of an occupational therapist at work include the following: (1) advice on specialist equipment to assist with activities of daily living, (2) develop a programme for rehabilitation to help patients rebuild skills that were lost and restore their confidence, (3) advice environmental modifications at home and in the workplace, (4) teach patients on techniques of managing patients with anxiety and assist them to return to workplace, (5) coach patients with difficulties in learning, and mentoring them in behavioural control, (6) acts as mediator between the patients and other healthcare professionals, (7) write reports and case meetings to plan and review current treatment, (8) organise clients’ and carers support and rehabilitation group, (9) train students and supervise the occupational therapy assistant’s assignment, and lastly, (10) manages a caseload, prioritises the needs of patients, and completes administrative undertakings. The Role of Occupational Therapist in a Mental Ward: In mental health, it is the goal of an occupational therapist to help patients reach their utmost level of functioning and total freedom from others while performing their activities of daily living (Perth and Kinross Council, 2009). These include personal dependence, employment, and social, pursuit in recreational /leisure, and interpersonal relationships. Occupational therapist helps the patients to regain their confidence that was lost when they were sick (Perth and Kinross Council, 2009). They also help patients who are having difficulty to perform their daily tasks due to several reasons. And lastly, occupational therapists help patients to improve their outlook in life, their ability to care for themselves, and take part in the activities in the community (Perth and Kinross Council, 2009). In the mental ward, it is the responsibility of an occupational therapist to evaluate the patients in the ward. This may be due to the fact that occupational therapist has a special knowledge in psychopathology, and for this reason, they are given the responsibility to interview and counsel the patients, and provide treatment and management of patient’s condition (Coia and Joyce, 1989). The Role of Occupational Therapists among Patients with Mental Problems: The role of an occupational therapist include helping patients who are experiencing mental health issues to recover from their current conditions by identifying specific goals that are focused on occupations that will help patients to improve care for themselves, increase self – esteem by focuses on the patient’s activities and work leading them to self – sustaining and independent living, and in effect, letting them live a normal way of living (British Association of Occupational Therapists and College of Occupational Therapists, 2011). According to the British Association of Occupational Therapists and College of Occupational Therapists (2011), an occupational therapist helps patients with mental problems by focusing in self – care management such as cooking. The criteria to self – care includes being able to manage their long standing mental health conditions, being able to live independently, and remain in their employment, when appropriate. To further illustrate this area, it is expounded that after a six – week occupational therapist intervention, the patient will learn how to cook by themselves, at about 60 percent of the treatment goal, and to further 25 percent of their projected goals (British Association of Occupational Therapists and College of Occupational Therapists, 2011). Additionally, an occupational therapist also helps patients with mental issues return to work earlier than three months (British Association of Occupational Therapists and College of Occupational Therapists, 2011). An occupational therapist also help these patients work for longer hours compared to patients treated under standard psychiatric interventions. As noted by British Association of Occupational Therapists and College of Occupational Therapists (2011), 50 percent of the patients with mental health problems treated by occupational therapist were still employed 42 months following their treatment. The aforementioned report showed that the benefits of occupational therapy intervention demonstrates long lasting effect as well as financial benefits being able to go back to work in shortest time and being able to work longer. Lastly, an occupational therapist helps patients with mental health issues access services such as vocational opportunities by developing a successful approach that is person – centred and goal focused (British Association of Occupational Therapists and College of Occupational Therapists, 2011). As an outcome, patients were able to regain their access back to their studies, were able to perform voluntary work, open employment and were able to engage with services of employment (British Association of Occupational Therapists and College of Occupational Therapists, 2011). The Role of Occupational Therapists within the Multidisciplinary Team: An occupational therapist works alongside with the multidisciplinary inpatient service team and together with neurology, surgical and orthopaedics, elderly and the medical team when they do their respective responsibilities (NHS, undated). The occupational therapist assesses the patient’s cognition, perception, and motor function in the neurology unit. Their aim is to regain back the functional recovery of the patient at an optimum level by working alongside with other multidisciplinary team unit daily while achieving their respective specific goals in order to recover their access back to the community (NHS, undated). On the other hand, in the surgical unit, the occupational therapist functions to provide rehabilitation to the patient. Also, they advice patients with certain issues that they foresee that could affect them when being sent back home (NHS, undated). In the orthopaedic unit, an occupational therapist assesses and advises the patients suffering from injuries in the joint and bones. They work together with the ward – based team to help patients cope with their disabilities. They also aim for safe discharge of patients (NHS, undated). Occupational therapist also offers preadmission services where a home visit and assessment is rendered by the Technician to cater the postoperative needs of the patients as well as organising the delivery of the required equipments (NHS, undated). In the elderly care unit, an occupational therapist works with multidisciplinary team by assessing the functioning of the patients comprehensively prior to discharge as well as mediates with the agencies outside the hospital to assure that following their discharge, an appropriate level of support will be carried out (NHS, undated). In the medical unit, an occupational therapist closely liaise with the nurses, physiotherapist, social workers, and other staff in the medical team in planning functional needs and plan in patient’s discharge (NHS, undated). References: 1. British Association of Occupational Therapists and College of Occupational Therapists, 2011. Occupational Therapist Provide Cost Effective Solutions for Mental Health Services. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 3 January 2012]. 2. Coia, D. and Joice, A., 1989. The Psychiatrist. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 2 January 2012). 3. NHS, undated. Occupational Therapy. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 3 January 2011]. 4. NHS, 2012. Occupational Therapist. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 31 December 2011]. 5. Perth and Kinross Council, 2009. Occupational Therapy (Mental Health). [Online] Available at: [Accessed 30 December 2011] 6. Roche, K., 2010. Occupational Therapist. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 2 January 2012]. 7. The Nemours Foundation, 2012. Occupational Therapy. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 1 January 2012]. Read More