Exploring occupational participation of people with a personality disorder to inform an occupational therapy intervention

Background: People with a personality disorder can experience multiple admissions to hospital and have difficulty with self-care, work and leisure activities (Lee et al, 2011). Experiences of returning to independent living... [ view full abstract ]

Background:
People with a personality disorder can experience multiple admissions to hospital and have difficulty with self-care, work and leisure activities (Lee et al, 2011). Experiences of returning to independent living following hospital discharge have not been explored and are needed to inform occupational therapy practice and discharge processes. This paper will present findings from post-doctoral research aiming to explore the experiences of people with a personality disorder regarding returning to daily life following discharge from hospital. The results of the study were used to further develop an occupational therapy intervention to ensure it meets the occupational needs identified in this study.
Method:
Interviews with 9 people with a personality disorder who left hospital in the last six months were used to gather the data. A researcher with experience of using mental health services co-developed the interview questions and led the interviews. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes relating to occupational performance post-discharge from hospital.
Results:
The themes identified during analysis revealed that participants felt that post-discharge discussions focused on their illness and they were often not asked about their plans for the future. Having multiple admissions resulted in them having difficulty re-establishing routines or maintain community and self-care activities.
Conclusions:
The study identified specific issues regarding occupational performance for people with a personality disorder that are important for an occupational therapy intervention to address.
Application to practice:
The results of this study directly informed the content of an occupational therapy intervention and informed the local acute care pathway.