Contribution of occupational therapy for patients with depression / Beitrag der Ergotherapie in der Wahrnehmung von Menschen mit Depression

Abstract Introduction So far, few studies exist concerning the professional contribution and effects of occupational therapy in people with depression. This contrasts the practical and quantitative contribution of this form of therapy. Aim To reconstruct the specific contribution of occupational therapy in treating people with depression from a patient perspective. Method Half-standardized interviews with 10 patients of a Swiss day clinic before and after their stay were evaluated with a qualitative content analysis. Results The analysis resulted in three phases that are traversed by the persons concerned in the course of the occupational therapy process. The dimensions considered as essential of occupational therapy namely activity, group, and therapist fulfilled different functions in each phase. Conclusion Occupational therapy plays a central role in the treatment of people with depression. While at the beginning of the depression activities within occupational therapy have a more distracting character, activities related to everyday life are more important later in the therapy process. The differentiated perception of different stages in people with depression allows the development of symptom-specific, user-oriented services.