Bridging the Gap Between Hospital and Community-Based Mental Health Services

Abstract

Depression and anxiety affect a person’s ability to move from hospital to community and engage in valued occupations. The purpose of this study was to understand the effectiveness of an occupational therapist-led transitional service for people with mood and anxiety disorders. Using a mixed-method design consisting of retrospective pre-post analysis of outcome measures and qualitative analysis of interviews with key stakeholders, statistically and clinically significant improvements were seen in depression and anxiety symptoms as well as occupational engagement after completion of the service. This study highlights the unique contributions of occupational therapist-led programing in mental health recovery.

Keywords:

• Occupational therapy
• life skills
• mood disorders
• mindfulness
• group therapy

Additional information

Funding

We acknowledge the Health Sciences Foundation for its financial support of this research through the Allied Health Research Grant.