“What an eye-opener” – a qualitative study of vulnerable citizens participating in a municipality-based intervention

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To explore how psychologically vulnerable citizens experienced performing their everyday-life activities, identify activities experienced as particularly challenging and evaluate the significance of the Acceptance and Commitment Theory-based (ACT)-based program, Well-being in Daily Life, had on the participants everyday-life activities. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight participants from the Well-being in Daily Life program. Data were analysed using Systematic Text Condensation. Results and Conclusion: The participants experienced anxiety, fatigue, lack of structure, and chaos when performing their everyday-life activities; in addition to being uncertain about the limitations of their own resources. Furthermore, balancing between demands and resources was challenging, also leading to uncertainty and identity conflicts that contributed to the participants’ concerns about re-entering the workforce. The program enabled the participants to develop social skills and trust which contributed to providing the participants with confidence, individually-tailored-possibilities for developing new competencies and courage; thus, facilitating their recovery process.

KEYWORDS:

• Everyday-life challenges
• group-based intervention
• health intervention
• health promotion
• Acceptance and Commitment Theory-based (ACT)
• recovery
• interview
• well-being

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the interview participants and the health care professionals at the Health Care Centre in Sonderborg Municipality for participating in the study.

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Pia Maria Ilvig

Pia Maria Ilvig Graduated in 2014 from VIA University College in Aarhus, Denmark with a Bachelor Degree in Occupational Therapy. Worked as an occupational therapist at Frederiksberg Hospital. Graduated in 2016 from University of Southern Denmark with a Master of Science in Health (in Occupational Therapy). Currently working with treatment evidence in the rehabilitation department in Hvidovre municipality. Further working as a research assistant at the Department of Public Health at University of Southern Denmark

Michaela Kjær Graduated as physical therapist from University College Lillebælt, Denmark, in 2014. She continued with her master in physical therapy at University of Southern Denmark the same year, while working as physical therapist in a privat practice.

Dorrie Jones Graduated in 1998 from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelors of science in occupational therapy. Worked as an occupational therapist in the USA from 1998 to 2002 and in Denmark from 2004 to 2016. Currently employed at The Research Unit of General Practice – Department of Public Health at the University of Southern Denmark.

Jeanette Reffstrup Christensen Head of Studies for Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. Dr Christensen has published several articles concerning workplace interventions, disabilities, musclescletal pain and overweight and obesity issues. Job groups have, among others been healthcare workers, as they represent a high-risk population with high physical work demands. Healthcare work is mostly performed by females with high prevalence of overweight and obesity, musculoskeletal pain, and low physical capacities.

Lotte Nygaard Andersen Associate professor at the Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics at the University of Southern Denmark. Her research focus is on understanding difficult life situations and her research is also focusing on understanding how citizens experience participation in rehabilitative intervention primarily in a municipality setting.