Article Summary

     The article journal I chose to review examined the Effectiveness of Activity-Based Group Work in Community Mental Health: A Systematic Review.  This study was a systematic review of  136 potential articles, and a full text review of 27 articles.  After reviewing the final 27 articles and adhering to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, only 3 articles were left to use for this review.  In the introduction of the study, the researchers discuss how all occupational therapists serving in mental health that they surveyed responded stating that they all used group interventions in their practice, which were more often than not activity based group interventions.  This journal article advocates for community mental health, and for the lack of research that has been done to prove how truly effective activity based group interventions can be for clients with mental health in an occupational therapy group.

     The study identified three qualified articles after the systematic review was conducted.  For me the most important part of this study is that each article had the same thing in common, which was activity based groups are more effective than verbal based groups but for different reasons such as: improving self-perceptions of social interaction skills, improving social behavior, providing greater symptom reduction, and increasing levels of community functioning.  The results of the studies also showed a statistical significance in social interaction skills for the group members.  This study strives to collect relevant, valid, and reliable articles to support the evidence of activity based intervention groups in occupational therapy. 

 

     Having read this article, as I move into my 3 month mental health rotation (now set to be in a court/justice system) I further feel it is important to acknowledge the importance and power that activity based group interventions may have on our clients.  I now know moving forward as a future practitioner that thinking, planning, and executing an activity based group, I can refer to this article to remind/inform myself and my employers of the benefits that activity based interventions may have.  I know often outsiders that look into our activity based groups think that we are just using "another worksheet" or "making another craft" however this research is showing that activity interventions are more effective than simple verbal groups for our clients with mental health diagnosis.  Having research to support this will assign reason to the activity for the individuals that are not occupational therapists.  If we could prove nothing more from this article, we could prove that activity based interventions increase and positively support social interaction skills.  Many mental health disorders present with an occupational barrier of social interaction skills, and to identify that activity based group interventions help support the goal of social interaction is huge for OT!  Moving forward, I will keep this article readily available to evidence my future practice in fieldwork (and possibly my future job)! 

References 

Bullock, A., & Bannigan, K. (2011). Effectiveness of activity-based group work in community      mental health: A systematic review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy,65(3), 257-266. doi:10.5014/ajot.2011.001305