Date of Award
2008
Document Type
Scholarly Project
Degree Name
Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)
Department
Occupational Therapy
First Advisor
Cindy Janssen-Holweger
Keywords
Adolescent; Health Promotion; Mentally Ill Persons
Abstract
The purpose of this project was to identify wellness needs of adolescents with mental illness (MI) and to provide a structured program that incorporates occupational activities into wellness programming within a mental health setting.
A literature review was conducted using PubMed, EBSCOhost, PsychInfo, SCOPUS, OT search, and CINAHL to determine the need for wellness programs for this population. Resources included journals, books, websites, government agencies, and government reports.
After an extensive literature review it was found that there are a limited number of wellness programs, as well as a need among adolescents with MI, as evidenced by increasing rates of obesity, violence, suicide rates, and depression. A video series consisting of seven videos, along with an instruction manual were developed to incorporate wellness into treatment within a mental health facility for adolescents with MI. The seven videos focused on physical, social, spiritual, emotional, occupational, environmental, and intellectual dimensions of wellness. The videos and manual address education regarding wellness, occupation based activities, and discussion questions. This program follows the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance (Law, Polatajko, Baptiste, & Townsend, 1997), as it focuses on the interaction between the person, environment, and occupation. In conclusion, it is recommended that occupational therapists include wellness activities as a part of treatment for adolescents with mental illness.
Recommended Citation
Silewski, Holly and Thompson, Christina, "An Occupational Therapy Approach to a Wellness Program for Adolescents with Mental Illness" (2008). Occupational Therapy Capstones. 328.
https://commons.und.edu/ot-grad/328