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Objective: This purpose of this study was to evaluate the Nutrition and Exercise for Wellness and Recovery (NEW-R) weight loss intervention., Method: Using a pretest/posttest design, 18 participants recruited from a community-based mental health program were assessed at baseline, immediately following the intervention (8 weeks), and at 6-month follow-up. The intervention was delivered by an occupational therapist and occupational therapy graduate students and consisted of 8 weekly sessions lasting 2 hr. Outcomes included changes in weight, and levels of knowledge about nutrition and exercise., Results: Participants lost an average of 3 pounds at immediate postintervention, and lost an average of 10 pounds at the 6-month follow-up. Participants also demonstrated significant increases in their knowledge about nutrition and physical activity., Conclusions and Implications for Practice: The results of this study provide preliminary support for the impact of the NEW-R intervention on weight loss and knowledge about diet and exercise., ((c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).)

Topic: Occupational therapists consider the person, the environment and the occupation (personally meaningful activities) in the assessment and intervention process with the ultimate goal being occupational performance., Purpose: This paper describes functional assessment and intervention from the perspective of the occupational therapist with specific examples of assessment instruments and intervention approaches. A scenario of a person in recovery with a particular occupational performance goal is woven throughout the paper to apply the concepts of functional assessment and intervention to a specific situation., Sources Used: CINAHL and PubMed databases; Existing assessment manuals and research on these instruments., Conclusions: Occupational therapists are just one discipline of many within psychiatric rehabilitation. Multidisciplinary teams can be most effective when they work collaboratively and maximize the expertise of all contributors. By describing the occupational therapy process, providing a scenario, and offering suggestions for collaboration, it is hoped that this paper fosters dialogue among occupational therapists and others involved in psychiatric rehabilitation.

Topic: This paper provides an overview of occupational therapy in the context of psychiatric rehabilitation and mental health recovery., Purpose: The paper delineates practical aspects of occupational therapy's involvement in the mental health field with a discussion of occupation and the elements of conceptual models that guide the practice of occupational therapy., Sources Used: CINAHL, Psych Info, Medline., Conclusion: Occupational therapy is a key discipline in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation and brings to the field a strong theoretical and knowledge base along with unique procedures and practices. It is important for the psychiatric rehabilitation field to learn from all disciplines, including occupational therapy.

Objective: The concept of recovery can be based on the self report of the individual experiencing the phenomenon ("insider" perspective) or objectively measured by clinicians and researchers ("outsider perspective"). The purpose of this study was to examine the relations among insider (hope and empowerment) and outsider (symptoms and cognition) variables of recovery., Methods: 66 individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression were administered the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, a battery of cognitive measures, The Hope Scale and The Empowerment Scale., Results: For symptoms, depression and anxiety had the strongest relationships with hope and empowerment. Cognition was associated with a subset of activist oriented empowerment subscales. There were strong relationships among the hope and empowerment measures but few relationships among symptoms and cognition., Conclusions: Relationships exist between insider and outsider conceptualizations of recovery in that symptoms and cognition are associated with some aspects of hope and empowerment.

Obesity is a major problem nationwide and even more prevalent among people with psychiatric disabilities. This study examined the efficacy of a psychiatric rehabilitation weight loss program. Twenty-one individuals participated in the 12-week intervention. Another 15 individuals served as matched controls. Results indicate the intervention group improved more than the control group for weight, body mass index, waist circumference and physical activity. The intervention group lost 2.7 kg (6 lbs) and the control group gained 0.5 kg (1 lb). A weight loss program incorporating psychiatric rehabilitation principles was effective for people with psychiatric disabilities at a community based program.

Oral health programs for people with psychiatric disabilities are rare. This study examined the feasibility efficacy of an oral health intervention for people with psychiatric disabilities. Fifty individuals were recruited and randomly assigned to receive education, reminder system and mechanical toothbrush or just the mechanical toothbrush. 42 completed the study. Plaque index scores recorded at baseline and after 4 weeks indicate a statistically significant improvement for both groups but those in the enhanced intervention improved significantly more. The results suggest the mechanical toothbrush improves the oral hygiene of people with psychiatric disabilities. The combination of mechanical toothbrush, dental instructions and reminders result in additional improvements.