III YR BSC NSG

1. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Presented By:
Mrs Bemina JA
Assistant Professor
Esic college of nursing
MENTAL HEALTH NURSING

2. INTRODUCTION
 Occupational Therapy (OT) can be described as the art
and science of challenging an individual’s effort in
specially selected activities that have been designed to
restore and enhance his performance.
 Occupation
“Any activity, which engages a person’s resources of
time and energy and is composed of skills and values”

3. DEFINITION
 Occupational Therapy is the application of goal –
oriented and, purposeful activity in the assessment and
treatment of individuals with psychological, physical
or developmental disabilities.

4. GOALS
 Promotion of recovery
 Mobilization of total assets of the patient
 Prevention of hospitalization
 Creation of good habits of work and leisure
 Enhance the patient to regain self – confidence

5. PRINCIPALS
 Select the activities based on interest IQ levels
strengths and abilities of the client.
 Utilizes the client’s available resources.
 Select short duration activities to foster a sense of
accomplishment and enhance self-confidence.
 Provide good reinforcement for even small
achievements.
 Plan and selected activities that gives new experience
for the client to meet the day to day activities.

6. INDICATIONS
 Depression
 Chronic schizophrenia
 Anxiety disorder,
 Manic disorder,
 Paranoid schizophrenias
 Catatonic schizophrenia
 Antisocial Personality dementia
 Substance abuse
 Childhood Psychiatric disorders

7. SETTINGS
 OT is provided to children, adolescents, adults and
elderly patients.
 Psychiatric Hospitals
 Nursing Homes
 Rehabilitation Centers
 Special Schools
 Community Mental Health Centers
 Halfway Homes and De – addiction Centers

8. SERVICES
 Independent living skills: Self – care or Self
Maintenance.
 Crafts, Socialization, Leisure activity and Education.
 Employment and Academic preparation, Home
making, child care or parenting.
 Design fabrication and application of orthotic devices.
 Therapeutic exercise
 Patient or family education / Counseling.

9. ACTIVITIES
 Assertiveness Training
 Daily Activities Living
 Music, Art and Clay Work.
 Poetry and Drama.
 Craft Work
 Wood Work
 Weaving
 Painting
 Social Skills Training
 Industrial Works
 Sewing
 Leather Work
 Ceramics

10. CLASSIFICATION
OT are classified as follows
 Diversional – E.g.. Organized games.
 Remedial – E.g.. Physiotherapy for particular muscle
groups. (Basket making, Weaving, Carpentry, Candle
Making, Baking, Tailoring, Gardening, Embroidery)
Physiotherapy also includes (Heat massage,
Electrotherapy)

11. SUGGESTED OT ACTIVITIES
 Anxiety Disorder: Simple concrete tasks with not more
than 3 or 4 steps. (Sweeping, Washing, Weeding garden)
 Depressive Disorder: Simple concrete tasks which are
achievable. (Craft Works)
 Manic Disorder: Non-competitive activities that allows the
use of energy and expression of feelings. (Raking Grass)
 Schizophrenia (Paranoid): Non-competitive solitary
meaningful tasks that require some degree of concentration
(Puzzles)
 Catatonic Schizophrenia Simple concrete tasks in which
patients involves actively. (Metal work, Molding clay)

12. SUGGESTED OT ACTIVITIES
 Anti-Social Personality: Activities that enhance self –
esteem and expressive and creative. (Leather Work,
Painting)
 Dementia: Group activities to increase feeling of belonging
and self-worth. (Cover making, packing goods)
 Substance Abuse: Group activities in which patient uses his
talents. (Involve patient in planning social activities)
 Childhood and Adolescent disorders: Children – Playing,
Story telling, Painting, Poetry Music etc. Adolescents –
Leather work drawing, painting etc. MR – Cover
making, candle making and packing goods.

13. ADVANTAGES
 OT helps to build a more healthy and integrated ego.
 OT helps to express and deal with needs and feelings.
 Assists in the gratification of basic needs.
 Strengthens Ego defenses.
 Reverses Psychopathology
 Facilitates personality development.
 Develops Self Esteem and Good Self – Concept.

14. POINTS TO BE KEPT IN MIND
 Involve patients to select activity
 Activity should utilizes patients strength and abilities.
 The activity should be of short duration to foster
feeling of accomplishments.
 The selected activity should provide new experience
for the patient.

15. ROLE OF NURSE
 Coordinates with other therapeutic team members in diagnosing the abilities, strengths,
and talents, interests IQ levels of the client and in selecting the activity for a specific
client.
 Provides a series of graded experiences to the client, e.g. observing the demonstration of
any activity to more direct and active experiences
 Educates the client to develop specific new skills
 Encourages socialization and exhibits positive interest to the client
 Guides the client in formulation of new hobbies by strengthening the abilities of the
client
 Appreciates if the client performs any approved behavior.
 Offers tokens for each accomplishment of the work, based on the principle of positive
reinforcement.
 Helps the client to develop independent living skills.
 Approaches community agencies for job placement of the clients in approved social
activities.
 Assists in developing good social interaction and relationship.
 Never citizens the client, when he is performing any activity.

16. CONCLUSION
 It is well clear that occupational therapy plays an
important role for treating and rehabilitating mentally
– ill clients.