Occupational therapy: types and use in Psychology

An elderly person with a dementia or neurodegenerative disease, an adult drug addict or a child with a profound intellectual disability. In many of these cases, it will be necessary to teach these people to put into practice various attitudes and skills that They are necessary for the correct personal functioning or that they allow to keep these skills preserved for the maximum time possible.

One of the means to carry out this learning is the use of occupational therapy, a field of health that has its own university degree in many Spanish-speaking countries. In this article we will know how it works and what methods it uses.

• Related article: "Types of psychological therapies"

The concept of occupational therapy

Occupational therapy is a set of therapeutic techniques, methods and treatments that, through the performance of a series of activities or occupations, the treated person is stimulated so that he can develop the basic skills necessary for his life daily, prevent illness or disability, regain or maintain faculties, learn new ways of acting and / or adapt to your situation.

The objective is to achieve that the patient substantially improves their quality of life and strengthen their autonomy.

The different activities to be carried out can work both the physical and the mental: fine motor skills, memory, cognition waves executive functions They are usually the most worked elements in occupational therapy. Occupational therapy is generally used for a rehabilitative purpose, but it can also be used for learn to enjoy or to create a series of skills that allow the realization of a future job.

The activities to be carried out can be very varied, depending on the type of problems that are being worked on and the objective to be achieved. The ways of applying these activities can also vary greatly: physical games, mental exercises, dance or music therapy, for example, can be applied. In any case, it is sought that refer directly to the day's activities patient day and that are interesting and meaningful to him.

Other needs and uses of this type of therapy

They must be designed in such a way that the subject's state, performance and evolution can be evaluated, and the priorities and needs of the subject in question are also taken into account.

Often among the various tasks are mental exercises that force you to remember, plan and organize, as well as carry out basic personal careand enable the learning of motor and behavioral skills essential to maintain well-being. It is not a mere entertainment or something to pass the time: all the activities that are carried out (even if what is intended is that the subject learn to enjoy her leisure) are intended to stimulate the patient and help him cope with her difficulties, having guidance therapy.

This type of therapy is often carried out in a group format, bringing together different subjects with the same problem or with similar profiles who need to work on the same area or basic activity in the same session. Despite this, it can also be used individually when what is intended is to teach a skill.

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Type of patients who require it

There are a large number of people who may require the use of occupational therapy, several typical cases having been mentioned in the introduction to this article.

So occupational therapy It is well known and applied in the world of geriatrics, in the elderly and the elderly. This is due to the functional limitations caused by the aging of the organism. And it is especially common in patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as dementias, in which is intended to maintain and optimize the autonomous functioning of the subject to the extent possible.

Another group that we have already mentioned has to do with the population with intellectual disabilities, which in some cases (especially when the disability is moderate, severe or profound) may require stimulation and learning basic activities through this therapy format. The same occurs with other neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.

Finally, all those who have suffered some type of disease (be it congenital or acquired) or disabling disorder will benefit greatly from this type of therapy. Examples of this can be found in people who present cerebral palsy. Also in patients with cancer, sensory deficits or disabilities, substance dependence or psychological disorders.

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Benefits of this intervention

The performance of occupational therapy is very beneficial for the maintenance of the state of mental health and the prolongation of the basic functionality in patients with different diseases. In subjects with a progressive degeneration of functions, it can prolong normal functioning and slow down the degeneration process.

Both in these cases and in those in which there is no loss of functions, allows physical, mental and sensory stimulation, enhancing skills and sometimes learning essential skills and activities. It also allows the patient to maintain and sometimes see increased self-esteem and independence. Likewise, they can also lead to social and labor inclusion by developing behaviors that allow their achievement.

Finally, the fact of observing other patients in similar situations allows both socialization and that the subject does not feel different, being able to also express their emotions and doubts before people in conditions parallel to their own.

Despite the above, it is important to keep one thing in mind: occupational therapy it is not a curative treatment, but a support and a way to alleviate the disability that various conditions may entail.