Occupational Therapy News OTnews January 2019 | Page 19

MENTAL HEALTH FEATURE © GettyImages/gustavofrazao Challenges Main challenges seen during this period related to obtaining appropriate referrals, as the volume of referrals received fluctuated, for example depending on the time of year, or number of groups already running in that area. Other challenges included the logistics of the group, for example staffing, venue, child care for service users and transport within a large geographical area, group dynamics, facilitator relationship and understanding of behavioural activiation material, and the literacy skills of service users. However, delivering behavioural activation over the past few years has reinforced our belief that occupational therapists are excellently placed to deliver psychological based therapies. Occupational therapists’ core skills interlink very well with the skills required to facilitate behavioural activation. The core theory behind behavioural activation of graded behavioural change, through engaging in meaningful activity, is the core foundation of our occupational therapy practice in mental health. Transferring our occupational therapy knowledge, core skills and belief to deliver behavioural activation felt like a seamless transition and was certainly not a difficult task. Evidencing the outcomes with quantitative data, as well as seeing and hearing the qualitative feedback from group participants, was a very positive experience. Participants attending the group reported that the peer support and encouragement element to the group motivated them to achieve their weekly goals and not let others down. As a therapist and facilitator of the group, it was rewarding to see other participants support and encourage one another, through the ups and downs. We also feel that the peer support element was pivotal in keeping attendance rates high during the group and also motivated participants to see the group through to the end. Plans for the future Occupational therapists will continue to deliver behavioural activation groups throughout Lanarkshire, with a view to integrating it into everyday occupational therapy practice. Training will continue to be delivered to all new occupational therapy staff, and occupational therapists will complete NES generic supervision training to enable them to carry out peer supervision, as opposed to being supervised by clinical associates in applied psychology. Occupational therapists will also continue to collate data through outcome measures and perform statistical analysis. References Dimidjian S, Hollon S, Dobson K, Schmanling KB, Kochlenberg RJ, Addis M, Gallop R, McGlinchey J, Markley D, Gollan JK, Atkins DC, Dunner DL and Jacobson NS (2006) Randomised trial of behavioural activation, cognitive therapy and antidepressant medication in the acute treatment of adults with major depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74(4), 658-670 Doody A (2011) A scholarly practitioner approach to the treatment of depression: Use of behavioural activation in a group setting. Leadership in Mental Health Compendium. Available online at: https://tspace.library. utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/67383/1/A.%20Doody%20-%20Group%20 Behavioural%20Activation.pdf [accessed 2 January 2019] Lynsey Drysdale, specialist occupational therapist, and Claire Boyle, occupational therapist, NHS Lanarkshire. Email: Lynsey. [email protected] OTnews January 2019 19