Authors (including presenting author) :
Chan J, Fok CK, Ma WY, Sezto NW, Hui N
Affiliation :
Occupational Therapy Department, United Christian Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Person-Centred Care
Keyword 2: :
Strength based
Keyword 3: :
Improve Functional Performance
Keyword 4: :
Community Reintegration
Introduction :
Relapse rates for adult psychiatric patients commonly range between 40–60% within one year of discharge. Functional difficulties—such as poor social skills, impaired occupational functioning, limited daily living abilities, and lack of community integration—are major contributors to relapse. To address this, the Individualized Occupational Therapy (IOT) program was developed to enhance functional performance and facilitate reintegration into the community.
Objectives :
• To improve functioning and self-management skills in psychiatric in-patients.
• To investigate the effectiveness of the IOT program for psychiatric in-patients.
Methodology :
Between April 2025 and November 2025, 215 psychiatric in-patients in recovery (PIRs) were recruited and provided with the IOT program. Key elements included collaborative goal setting for personal recovery, a strength-based approach to utilize individual capabilities, and tailored interventions according to personal abilities and mental state to enhance self-management. A pretest–posttest repeated measures design was employed using the Social and Occupational Functional Assessment (SOFAS), administered during the initial interview at admission and again upon discharge. Data were retrieved from the Discharge Summary of Allied Health Progress Notes in the Clinical Management System.
Result & Outcome :
Participants ranged in age from 18 to 79 years, with a mean age of 45. Of the 215 participants, 121 were female and 94 were male. Diagnoses included mood disorders (n = 109), schizophrenia (n = 84), and substance use disorder (n = 22). Analysis of SOFAS scores using paired t-tests indicated significant improvement in functioning (p < .001) when comparing score at admission (M = 53.9 ,SD = 12.1) and upon Discharge (M = 67.4 ,SD = 11.4). The mean score difference indicated that participants’ average functioning improved from moderate difficulty to some difficulty in social, occupational, or school functioning. The participants generally functioning adequately and has some meaningful interpersonal relationships upon discharge. Conclusion
This evaluation demonstrates that an individualized occupational therapy program focusing on person-centered care and strength-based approaches can significantly benefit psychiatric in-patients in recovery by improving their social and occupational functioning, thereby supporting relapse prevention and community reintegration. Future study on reviewing relapse rate before and after implementation of IOT would provide further evidence on the effectiveness of IOT on relapse prevention.
