1. Occupational balance in adults with mental illness
Alexandra Thompson
Occupational therapist
West London mental health trust
London south bank university
Student conference February 2017
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2. First assignment: COMPLETE.
Introduction
Band 5 OT – West London Mental Health Trust
Qualified in July 2015
Began MSc Advanced Occupational Therapy with Salford University in September 2016
First assignment: COMPLETE.
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3. Meaningful occupation & increased QoL, health and well-being.
Occupation and Health
Meaningful occupation & increased QoL, health and well-being.
More likely when people have control and choice.
The need to engage in occupation is part of a system which aims to promote important skills which support activity in daily life and health.
Balance is often overlooked despite studies saying it is important within our occupational lives.
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4. What is occupational balance?
WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF OCCUPATIONAL BALANCE?
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5. What is occupational balance?
Wilcock (2006) defines it as:
“…engagement in occupation that leads to well-being. For example, the balance may be among physical, mental and social occupations; between chosen and obligatory occupations; between strenuous and restful occupations, or between doing and being”
- EQUILIBRIUM -
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6. …
Leisure
Self-Care
Productivity
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7. Occupational Balance continued…
“A variety of occupational patterns and areas” Dür et al. (2014)
Occupational balance is an active process which seeks to develop stability in a person’s daily life.
Occupational balance has regularly been addressed alongside other similar, more concise factors within research, such as lifestyle balance and work-life balance.
TIME USE!
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8. Occupational Balance – Key Studies
Matuska and Christiansen (2008) Aimed to understand how people use their time through asking participants about their roles. They concluded that lifestyle balance could be the answer to reducing stressors in daily life.
Håkansson, Björkelund and Eklund (2011) Occupational Balance + Meaning = Increased life satisfaction.
Wilson and Wilock (2005) People – Time – Money Achieved by chance NOT design
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9. FLOW - Csikszentmihalyi (2002)
Flow is known as being in “the zone” where a person is fully involved in an activity which results in a state of focus.
In common activities, time passed at a regular pace.
Time passed faster when engaging in more complex and skilled activities.
Flow > Boredom; ?Engaging in something enjoyable.
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10. Occupational Balance and Mental Illness
A generic example: Migraines and Hormones can make us feel out of sorts!
Individuals with Mental Illness: - Risks - Statistics
Occupational Balance = Increased Wellbeing and Recovery
Work-life Balance – Most regularly addressed within Mental Health Literature.
Patterns of inactivity: Minato and Zemke (2004)
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11. Occupational Balance and Mental Illness
Hämmig and Bauer (2009) Increased risk of mental illness if imbalanced.
Reviewing routine = relapse indicator
Balanced = Positive outlook, increased motivation and overall better health and well-being.
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12. Occupational Balance and Mental Illness
Difficulties…
Burnout!
Working with the person in the present… Occupational lives change over time.
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13. Occupational Therapists & a meaningful routine!
The role of occupational therapists in regards to occupational balance within mental health settings?
Occupational Therapists & a meaningful routine!
Therapists can support with the grading and redesign of activities for the promotion of positive experiences.
Family routines link to well-being. Support from family supports social competence.
Additionally, a better therapeutic relationship supports an increase in knowledge surrounding their mental illness and insight into their condition.
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14. A short critique of the subject…
It is a BROAD concept with many definitions, variations and dimensions.
Subjectivity
Links to Health and Well-Being
Pentland and McColl (2008) believe it to be simple!
A need for a consistent definition for accurate assessment within clinical practice…
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15. In Summary…
Occupational balance has been shown to link to health and well-being.
The subject also has many associated definitions and terms and it presents as a complex issue.
It appears to be more easily managed through addressing the most important and meaningful parts of an individuals life.
The issues relevant to occupational balance can likely be identified through discussion and identification of flow and when it occurs.
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16. Summary and Conclusion
Occupational Balance:
Is B R O A D
With many DEFINITIONS
Requires more RESEARCH
But most of all appears to be…
UNIQUE TO YOU!
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17. REFERENCES
Bejerholm, U. (2010). Occupational Balance in people with Schizophrenia. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 26(1), 1-17.
Csikszentmihalyi, M (2002). Flow: The Psychology of Happiness: The Classic Work on How to Achieve Happiness. UK: Rider.
Doble, S., & Santha, JC. (2008). Occupational well-being: Rethinking occupational therapy outcomes. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75(3),
Dür, M., Unger, J., Stoffer, M., Drăgoi, R., Kautzky-WIller, A., Fialka-Moser, V., Smolen, J., & Stamm, J. (2014). Definitions of occupational balance and their coverage by instruments. The British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78(1), 4-15.
Eklund, M., & E, Argentzell. (2016). Perception of occupational balance by people with mental illness: A new methodology. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 23(4),
Eklund, M., Leufstadius, C., & Bejerholm, U. (2009). Time use among people with psychiatric disabilities: Implications for practice. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 32(3),
Goulet, C., Rousseau, J., Fortier, P., & Mottard, J. (2008). Factors influencing occupational competence in Schizophrenia. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 24(1), 5-30.
Håkansson, C., Björkelund, C., & Eklund, M. (2011). Associations between women’s subjective perceptions of daily occupations & life satisfaction, and the role of perceived control. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 58(6),
Hämmig, O., & Bauer, G. (2009). Work-life imbalance & mental health among male & female employees in Switzerland. International Journal of Public Health, 54(2),
Koome, F., Hocking, C., & Sutton, D. (2012). Why Routines Matter: The Nature and Meaning of Family Routines in the Context of Adolescent Mental Illness. Journal of Occupational Science, 19(4),
Larson, E., & von Eye, A. (2010). Beyond Flow: Temporality and Participation in Everyday Activities. America Journal of Occupational Therapy, 64(1),
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18. REFERENCES
Matuska, K. (2012). Description and development of the life balance inventory. OTJR: Occupation, Participation & Health, 31(1),
Matuska, K., & Christiansen, C. (2008). A proposed model of lifestyle balance. Journal of occupational science, 15(1), 9-19.
Pemberton, S., & Cox, D. (2011). What happened to the time? The relationship of Occupational Therapy to time. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(2),
Roe, D., Chopra, M., Wagner, B., Kastz, G., & Rudnick, A. (2004). The emerging self in conceptualizing & treating mental illness. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services, 42(2),
Wada, M., Backman, C., Forwell, S., Roth, M., & Ponzetti, J. (2014) Balance in Everyday Life: Dual-Income Parents Collective and Individual Conceptions. Journal of Occupational Science, 21(3),
Wagman, P., Håkansson, C., Jacobsson, C., Falkmer, T., & Björklund, A. (2012). What is considered important for life balance? Similarities and differences among some working adults. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 19(4),
Whalley Hammell, K. (2004). Dimensions of meaning in the occupations of daily life. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71(5),
Wilcock, A. (2007). Occupation & Health: Are they one & the same? Journal of Occupational Science, 14(1), 3-8.
Wilcock, A. (2006). An occupational perspective of health (2nd ed.) Thorofare, New Jersey, USA: Slack.
Wilson, L., & Wilcock, A. (2005). Occupational balance: what tips the scales for new students? British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68(7),
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19. Thank you for listening!
Any questions?
Feel free to contact me:
Twitter
@AlexThompsonOT
@AlexThompsonOT #LSBUOTConf2017