WHY NOT?
Occupational therapy can be the perfect resource for clients who want to address the occupation of marriage, parenting, mental stability and hone the performance skills involved in achieving their goals.
Occupational Performances That Can Be Affected By Anxiety, Depression, Marital Struggles, and Parental Difficulties
Social Participation
• Isolation due to a loss of interest/enjoyment, feelings of inadequacy, and low energy.
• Family stress and tension can result from the youth’s social withdrawal.
• May avoid social situations due to fear of being in an unfamiliar setting, embarrassing themselves, or having a panic attack
• May “flee” when uncomfortable
• Can appear irritable and unapproachable to other people (children, teens, and adults)
• May choose to withdraw as a way to manage symptoms
• Overall discomfort interferes with enjoyment of social activities
ADLs/iADLs
• Changes in eating patterns
• Loss of interest in self-care, such as bathing regularly and/ or wearing clean clothes.
• Excessive worry, poor concentration, slowed information processing, and fatigue can disrupt daily routines and the ability to carry out bathing, toileting, dressing, and eating tasks
• May demonstrate poor initiation and low motivation
• Inability to care for pets
• Lack of motivation in child rearing
• Poor Financial management
• Decreased Health management and maintenance
• Trouble with meal preparation and cleanup
• Decline in religious observances
• Trouble following safety procedures and poor emergency responses
• Inability to go out and/or participate in social settings
Education
• Difficulty with concentration and other cognitive tasks interferes with engaging in and completing assignments.
• May be labeled as “lazy” or disinterested.
• May refuse to attend school, complain of feeling ill often, or ask to leave early.
• Potential for social isolation at recess and in the cafeteria
• Difficulty concentrating and processing information can interfere with activity engagement, ability to understand and follow instructions, and completion of assignments
• May lose train of thought due to intrusion of worrisome thoughts
• Generally avoids speaking up in class or calling attention to self
Work
• Similar cognitive challenges as demonstrated in school.
• May appear disinterested in tasks.
• May arrive late or not at all.
• Slow or inadequate work, e.g., may misunderstand directions, leave out steps, etc.
• May avoid work settings where there is a need to interact with the public and/or the environment is busy and unpredictable
Sleep/Rest
• Disruptions in sleep patterns, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, add to constant fatigue
• Can be disrupted due to worry, which leads to daytime fatigue
Play/Leisure
• May show disinterest in previously enjoyed leisure activities.
• Tendency to engage in familiar occupations, either alone or with a good friend
• May find it hard to relax and enjoy themselves