A lack of understanding of mental illness

Friday, June 22 2007

Health professionals lack understanding of mental illness

Health practitioners lack a good understanding of what it's like to experience and recover from severe mental illness, says an AUT University researcher.

Senior occupational therapy lecturer at AUT, Daniel Sutton, is carrying out his doctoral research on the day to day things people do, or are unable to do, during mental illness and recovery.

Mental health research has traditionally focused on the measurement and management of clinical symptoms, and not the everyday experiences of those recovering, says Sutton.

He says by having a better understanding of the recovery process, health professionals could improve their interactions with clients.

"It would help them to see how their actions, advice and expectations might help or hinder the clients they work with.

"Much can be learnt by listening to peoples' stories of coping with, and living beyond, their illnesses," he says.

Sutton says a key theme is the breakdown of their established activity patterns, such as work, self care and leisure pursuits.

"A significant part of recovery is the re-building of these patterns which provide a sense of self, life-meaning and connection to others. Many practitioners don't understand how important this is for people's recovery."

For his research, Sutton interviewed 13 people with a range of serious and enduring mental health conditions about their recovery and found they had similar experiences.

He noted five different levels of engagement with occupation as their routines broke down, from people doing nothing and losing all sense of meaning, to eventually rebuilding their lives and engaging in the everyday world.

"I liken peoples' lifestyles to a garment that unravels, and through the recovery process, it is weaved back together."

One participant said the following about a level of engagement Sutton terms "non-doing".

"I just lie in bed all day and night. I don't do anything. You're dead, you have got no senses. You don't want to see anyone…talk to anyone…do anything, you just want to be left alone and lie there."

At another level of engagement, called "absorbed-doing", this has considerably changed said another participant.

"…I knew everyone would be delighted to come home to a dinner. I really planned how I would do things…The day just disappeared, completely gone. I found that it really took me out of myself."

Sutton hopes to finalise his findings later this year and disseminate them to health professionals, and friends and family of people with mental illness.

ENDS

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