Occupational therapy involves using goal-oriented activities to treat psychological, physical, and developmental disabilities. It aims to promote recovery, mobilize patient assets, prevent hospitalization, and help patients regain self-confidence. Occupational therapists select activities based on a client's interests, abilities, and IQ to provide new experiences and a sense of accomplishment. Examples of activities include crafts, social skills training, and industrial work. The role of nurses is to coordinate occupational therapy with other professionals and provide support and encouragement to clients.

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.