Stability of Improvement in Patients Receiving Psychiatric Occupational Therapy—A One-year Follow-up

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine stability of treatment outcome in 20 long-term mentally ill patients receiving occupational therapy at a psychiatric day-care unit. The outcome measures included psychiatric symptoms, global mental health, quality of life, and occupational functioning. The patients improved significantly from admission to a one-year follow-up after discharge in all these measures, with the exception of one aspect of quality of life: external life conditions. From discharge to follow-up the patients improved significantly in global mental health and occupational functioning. For psychiatric symptoms and quality of life, the patients maintained their level of functioning. At discharge 11 patients were clinically significantly improved as indicated by qualitative interviews, and another 4 patients met this criterion at follow-up. Thirteen patients showed clinically significant improvement from a quantitative perspective at discharge and 11 of these at follow-up as well. Furthermore, the patients' use of psychiatric services resulted in a significant decrease in the number of hospital admissions and number of inpatient days during the year following discharge compared with the year before admission, and there was a significant increase in the amount of time spent in work or studies. It is concluded that in all the measures used there was a further improvement or stability of outcome at a one-year follow-up and in no instance a deterioration compared to functioning at discharge.

Key Words:

• clinical significance
• group
• occupational therapy
• psychiatric day care
• treatment outcome