This course is the first of three modules concerning practice of occupational therapy in mental health. The text for this first module is Chapter 3, and Chapters 6-25 from the textbook Occupational Therapy in Mental Health: A Vision for Participation, edited by Catana Brown, PhD, OTR, FAOTA and Virginia C. Stoffel, PhD, OT, BCMH, FAOTA, Copyright 2011 by F. A. Davis Company. (Note: Each of the 3 modules can stand alone, and may be taken separately.)
This first module addresses the client as a person, providing detailed descriptions of both mental health diagnoses and client factors. For each diagnosis, there is a detailed description of the disorder, diagnostic criteria, etiology, course, impact on occupational performance, and useful interventions. For each client factor, there is description of the skill, examples of resultant disabilities, introduction to various assessments of the skill, and explanation of interventions. Mental disorders included in this module include: Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Attention Disorders, Intellectual Disorders, Eating Disorders, Personality Disorders, Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Schizophrenia, Substance Related Disorders, and Dementia. The text is enriched by narratives that convey the content of the text from the perspective of individuals with the mental illness. This course is for all OT clinicians, regardless of practice area.