Authors (including presenting author) :
Law HY(1), Wong KY(1), Fung MLE(1), Chan CYK(1), Chan F(2), Leung KY(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Occupational Therapy Department, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, (2)Department of Psychiatry, North District Hospital
Introduction :
Patients with substance abuse (SA) not only suffer from psychotic symptoms, cognitive decline, insomnia, etc., but also significant occupational impairment, including unstable work performance, chaotic lifestyle and weak social functioning. Unfortunately, they are often reluctant to engage in rehabilitation services, leading to high relapse rates.
To enhance motivation and success rate in recovery, with support by Beat Drugs Fund, Hospital-Social Multidisciplinary Collaboration Service (HSMC) for dual-diagnosis patients which involves psychiatric nurses, social workers and occupational therapists has been developed.
Occupational Therapy (OT) in HSMC plays an important role in providing psychosocial intervention such as Metacognitive Therapy, vocational and cognitive rehabilitation and occupational lifestyle redesign to support patients with SA during their detoxification journey from in-patient phase to community reintegration. The aims are: quit maladaptive behaviors, enhance cognitive and work function, and rebuild structured routine and meaningful life roles.
Objectives :
To evaluate effectiveness of OT intervention in improving occupational life functioning and psychosocial aspects of patients with SA and promote cessation of illicit drug use.
Methodology :
Patients with SA under care by Department of Psychiatry of New Territories East Cluster were recruited.
Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare pre-assessment and post-assessment results of occupational functioning, psychosocial functioning, stage of change and frequency of drug use before and after treatment sessions.
Result & Outcome :
49 patients completed the program from 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2024.
71.43% of clients showed significant improvement in occupational life functioning i.e. home-maker, worker, social and leisure aspects as evaluated in Life Functioning Assessment Inventory (L-FAI) (p=0.001).
83.7% and 91.8% of clients showed significant improvement in psychiatric co-morbidity as evaluated in Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21) respectively (p<0.001).
95.9% of clients showed significant improvement in readiness to quit drugs as shown in contemplation ladder (p<0.001) and 97.96% of clients showed significant reduction in drug use frequency (p<0.001).
To conclude, OT in HSMC has proven effective in improving the occupational and psychosocial functioning of patients with SA. However, it is crucial to recognize the substantial influence of multidisciplinary teamwork on clients’ SA behavior and mental conditions.
