Picture retreived from: http://www.travel-destination-pictures.com/inukshuk-alaska-150-pictures.htm on 30 August, 2010.
While searching for more information I came across a reference to the Inuit inukshuk. At first I did not understand the link, how could a stone figure relate to mental health and recovery? However, upon further research the link became obvious.
An inukshuk is a monument made from pieces of stone which are used by the Inuits for communication to ensure they are on the right path. The traditional meaning of an inukshuk is "someone was here" or "you are on the right path". They are used for survival - to guide people on the right path (http://www.inukshukgallery.com/inukshuk.html). This, to me, indicates that they give people hope.
Hope is a vital aspect of the Recovery Approach, which explains that people should hold hope that they will recover (Mental Health commission, 1998). Competency 2.3 of the New Zealand Recovery Competencies for Mental Health Workers (Mental Health Commission, 2001) states that mental health workers must "demonstrate the ability to support service users to experience positive self-image, hope and motivation".
However, within acute mental health, it may not be easy for staff to encourage clients to hold hope. Clients in an inpatient acute ward will be surrounded by other clients who are also acutely unwell. Being surrounded by ill people can be disheartening as clients try to find hope and role models, especially for adolescents who are experiencing their first episode of a mental illness.
An excellent way to gain hope is by seeing other people who have ‘recovered’ from mental illness and through integration into the community, including non-health organisations (Mental Health Commission, 1998).
However, from an occupational therapists perspective, it is difficult to help clients attend community organisations while in an acute ward. Clients are generally in the acute ward because they are a risk to themselves or others, and therefore are not always safe to leave the ward until they are in a better frame of mind.
Nevertheless, some inpatients are able to attend outpatient mental health groups, as an occupational therapist is able to provide them with information about groups outside of the hospital, and is able to organise for clients to attend these groups. However, this can be difficult due to leave restrictions and the availability of staff to escort clients off the premises of the ward.
This is just one aspect of the recovery approach, and the issues that may arise when applying it to an acute ward. Have you got anymore ideas about helping client’s foster hope within this environment? How do you think, as health professionals, we can help clients hold hope that they will get better?
More soon,
Anna
That's a tricky question you've posed at the end of this blog post Anna! It's sure got me thinking!!
ReplyDeletePerhaps some sort of activity that helps clients to focus on who they are as a person would be appropriate? Like for example, if a client enjoys fishing, perhaps a collage of images of fisherpeople might help them to focus on a goal they want to attain on their recovery journey, therefore foster hope that they can achieve that?
Hmmmm, a challenging question.
That is a tricky question, there's a bit of a catch 22 going on there in the acute setting. Like you say, the recovery approach suggests instilling hope in others, but then, when there are restrictions in going out, how would we address this need?
ReplyDeletePerhaps having people who have experienced and are on their way to recovery could come and share their experiences, to the clients in the inpatient unit? That might be a way of getting an outside perspective, without having the clients to leave the premises if they are on restriction.
Hi Rach and Yi Lin, thanks for your input, your comments both offer great ideas about ways of instilling hope.
ReplyDeleteRach, meaningful occupation is deffinately a great way to instill hope isn't it? Particularly from an OT's perspective!
And Yi Lin, I like this idea of getting people to come to the ward I think it would be great if this happened in the acute wards! I wonder if this does happen on some wards?