Mental health has increasingly become important for the current and past generation because of the number of stressors in the current environment. Birken, Henderson and Slade (2018) provide a detailed study that explores occupational therapy intervention among adults who are diagnosed with a psychotic disorder after being discharged from hospital. Despite being a feasibility study, it provides pertinent information that could help in ascertaining how psychotic adults could be helped to seamlessly integrate into the society. This paper seeks to review the source with particular attention on the relationship between occupational therapy intervention and mental health. One of the core objectives is to ascertain the effectiveness of occupational therapy intervention on mental health, basing on Birken, Henderson and Slade (2018) study.
The authors contend that mental health deterioration as well as admission to acute mental health units could lead to skill loss and lower involvement in daily life. In addition, they argue that discharge from hospital is related to high susceptibilities to suicide and social isolation. As an intervention development study, the major aim was to explore the processes, rationale and methods used for the development of interventions for adults diagnosed with psychotic disorders after being discharged from hospital. The major aim of the intervention is to enhance involvement in leisure and self-care, minimize crisis service use and enhance quality of life as well as wellbeing. Birken et al (2018) rightly assert that there is a prevalence of psychotic disorders within the United Kingdom. According to MacManus et al (2016), about 220,000 individuals are under treatment for schizophrenia within the United Kingdom at a given time. Having psychotic disorders like schizophrenia is detrimental to one’s ability to integrate into the society and cope with life’s circumstances. For instance, schizophrenia is linked to high unemployment levels, social isolation and discrimination (Killaspy et al., 2014).
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Birken et al (2018) further suggest that there is a high number of people admitted with psychotic disorders, thus necessitating occupational therapy interventions in order to improve their mental health. Because of the high unemployment rates and high utilization of services, a psychotic illness is costly. It is true that being discharged from acute mental healthcare institutions with the condition could result in people having financial difficulties, social isolation and hurdles taking care of themselves. This is emphasized by Owen-Smith et al (2014) who emphasize that when one is in hospital, they are in a kind of bubble. They affirm that psychiatric discharge is associated with suicide and self-harm. The loss of a job, experiencing relationship issues and living independently are risk factors for suicide after one is discharged from hospital. This is in support of the perception that the ability to engage in daily life activities is crucial for health as well as recovery from a relapse after discharge. This review suggests that Bilken et al (2018) rightly highlight the need for a proactive mental health intervention. Interventions after one is discharged from acute-mental health institutions usually focus on monitoring and medication of the symptoms of mental health. This is crucial for improving the transition by enabling those with psychotic disorders to be able to begin performing the daily tasks that could support their recovery. Arguably, such interventions could also minimize long-term disability and enhance wellbeing as well as quality of life.
Finally, the intervention, Graduating Living Skills Outside the Ward or GLOW, developed by the authors in the study could be instrumental for supporting people discharged with psychotic disorders. It further helps in improving leisure and mental health. In tandem with this intervention, it is the role of occupational therapists to provide such interventions after patients have been discharged from hospital (Keogh, Callaghan, & Higgins, 2015). Despite the lack of sufficient evidence regarding the effectiveness of occupational therapy, the study has succeeded in demonstrating that it could be beneficial for improving the mental wellbeing of those discharged with psychotic disorders. The study under review has mainly provided a description of the development of an intervention for individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders to enhance occupational performance after being discharged from hospital. GLOW could be relied on by occupational therapists to provide the care required for adults who are discharged from hospital.
Overall, the article has provided crucial information regarding the role of occupational therapy intervention in the improvement of mental health. Its greatest strength is that it has provided a model that occupational therapists could use for providing care to adults who have been discharged with psychotic disorders. The model is timely because of the increasing incidences of mental health illness that continue afflicting the society today. More importantly, the study findings are supported by empirical research that has been carried out in previous years. Interventions are critical for also ensuring that adults experiencing mental health issues integrate into the society seamlessly. The lack of this intervention could lead to lower productivity, especially among people who still fall in the working age bracket. The major weakness that needs to be addressed by the article is carrying out a randomized trial to prove its model.
References
Birken, M., Henderson, C., & Slade, M. (2018). The development of an occupational therapy intervention for adults with a diagnosed psychotic disorder following discharge from hospital. Pilot and feasibility studies , 4 (1), 81.
Keogh, B., Callaghan, P., & Higgins, A. (2015). Managing preconceived expectations: mental health service users experiences of going home from hospital: a grounded theory study. Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing , 22 (9), 715-723.
Killaspy, H., White, S., Lalvani, N., Berg, R., Thachil, A., Kallumpuram, S., ... & Mezey, G. (2014). The impact of psychosis on social inclusion and associated factors. International Journal of Social Psychiatry , 60 (2), 148-154.
McManus, S., Bebbington, P., Jenkins, R., & Brugha, T. (2016). Mental Health and Wellbeing in England: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014: a Survey Carried Out for NHS Digital by NatCen Social Research and the Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester . NHS Digital.
Owen-Smith, A., Bennewith, O., Donovan, J., Evans, J., Hawton, K., Kapur, N., ... & Gunnell, D. (2014). ” When you’re in the hospital, you’re in a sort of bubble.” Understanding the high risk of self-harm and suicide following psychiatric discharge: A qualitative study. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention , 35 (3), 154.
