Promoting mental wellbeing through activity in a mental health hospital

Occupational therapists hold, at the core of their philosophy, the belief that activity can be used to work towards an improved quality of life, despite any disability (Yerxa 1983). According to Coia and Joice (1989), the ability to use activity as a treatment medium is unique to occupational therapists and vital in recovery in mental health. The recreational therapy hall offered the only widely accessible and centralised source of activity in a mental health hospital with three adult acute wards, one adult rehabilitation ward and five adult continuing care wards, as well as four older people’s wards. Inpatients frequently complained of inactivity to the occupational therapy staff and to the day activity nursing staff who were in charge of the recreational therapy hall. Thus, the occupational therapists and day activity nursing staff aimed to improve the vital provision of therapeutic activity for all inpatients.