RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Knowledge about work-related occupational therapy in psychiatric inpatient and day hospital clients is limited. AIMS: The aim of the study was to explore the desired and achieved productivity status in mental health service users participating in a pre-vocational therapy (PVT) intervention. Outcome variables were productivity status and achievement of desired productivity status at discharge, and change or persistence of productivity status between admission and discharge. METHODS: This is a short-term prospective study based on observational data from health records (N = 98). RESULTS: At admission, 53.2% of participants named a clear desired productivity status; 46.8% did not. Of the former, 76.9% expressed a desire for employment or education on the regular job market; 28.0% achieved their desired outcome at discharge, whereas 72.0% did not. Overall, 58.5% retained, established or increased productive activities, while 41.5% were not engaged in or had reduced productive activities at discharge. These two groups differed in socio-economic and social-security-related characteristics, treatment-related characteristics and psychiatric diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Some, but not all kinds of clients in acute psychiatric inpatient and day hospital settings manage to take a first step towards productive activities during the first phase of treatment.
