Occupational Therapy
What is Occupational Therapy in Eating Disorder & Malnutrition Treatment?
Occupational therapy (OT) helps people across the lifespan to do the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of daily activities (occupations). Occupational therapy helps eating disorder and malnutrition patients progress toward independence in managing their activities of daily living (ADLs) and reengaging with coping and meaningful leisure activities as they become more physically capable.
The ultimate goals of occupational therapy are to help patients improve their independence to meet the demands of daily living across all occupations and environments and empower them to lead satisfying, meaningful and fulfilled lives in whichever way they choose to engage life.
The role of occupational therapy
Occupational therapy plays an important role recovery by promoting not just health and wellbeing, but also participation in patients with eating disorder or malnutrition. OT places emphasis on social engagement, learning new coping mechanisms and skills to manage symptoms, addresses stigma and ultimately supports the patient as they interact with and become a functional member in society.
The benefits of occupations
Self-esteem building
The use of occupations can build self-esteem. By re-engaging with different activities and areas of life, patients can feel a renewed sense of control over their lives, develop and improve their sense of self and boost feelings of satisfaction.
Improved mind-body relationship
The use of adaptive yoga as a mind-body practice can help improve the mind-body relationship, including improved self-competence, positive physical and social self-concepts and emotional regulation.
Development of health coping mechanisms
New interests and activities encourage the use of alternative coping mechanisms outside of the eating disorder. This can also include the development of coping mechanisms for chronic conditions, chronic pain or mobility limitations.
FAQ: What are occupations?
According to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, occupations refer to “the everyday activities that people do as individuals, in families and with communities to occupy time and bring meaning and purpose to life. Occupations include things people need to, want to and are expected to do.”
Occupations can be broken down into the following categories:
- Activities of daily living: Dressing, toileting, feeding, swallowing/eating, functional mobility, personal device care, personal hygiene and grooming
- Instrumental activities of daily living: Care of others/children, care of pets, communication management, financial management, health management and maintenance, shopping, home management, driving and community mobility, meal preparation, religious and spiritual activities and safety and emergency maintenance
- Rest and sleep: Rest, sleep preparation and sleep participation
- Play: Exploration and participation
- Leisure: Exploration and participation
- Work: Employment interests and pursuits, employment seeking and acquisition, job performance and retirement preparation and adjustment
- Social participation: Community activities, family activities and peer/friend activities
What to expect from occupational therapy
Assessment
Upon admission, the patient meets with a dedicated occupational therapist specializing in eating disorders and malnutrition. This conversation starts by establishing an occupational profile that outlines who the patient is, what they value and what their goals are for OT. The patient may be asked to perform certain example tasks, like getting dressed, washing their face or ambulating around the bathroom.
The occupational therapist will then perform a variety of standardized assessments including, but not limited to those for occupational performance, strength and endurance, functional balance, functional cognition, anxiety and depression, sensory processing and chronic pain.
For patients experiencing malnutrition, particularly those living with a chronic illness, other assessments relevant to their condition may be utilized to give a more comprehensive understanding of the patient’s needs, environment and supports.
Education
Learning about medical complications and physical and functional capacity is an essential component of occupational therapy for eating disorder patients. One area of note is education on returning to movement during and after eating disorder treatment. Many physical modalities require strength, coordination and balance, and some forms of movement can be dangerous in some situations for individuals in eating disorder treatment.
Education also plays a valuable role in the treatment of those experiencing severe malnutrition by teaching patients how to conserve energy, balance daily tasks of living and utilize their support network.
Skilled Interventions
Occupational therapy programs are customized to support patients across all orientations and environments. OT programs address occupational challenges patients experience as an individual and in their families or communities, allowing patients to adapt to their environment or physical limitation, build self-esteem and independence, build new skills and coping mechanisms and live a full and engaged life as they regain strength and nutrition during treatment. Occupational therapists utilize a variety of interventions, including:
- Preparatory activities for experiential learning
- Fostering new skills and routines to build confidence and self-esteem
- Yoga, breathing exercises and relaxation training to support digestion, self-regulation and parasympathetic engagement
- Sensory processing interventions, including weighted blankets, proprioceptive activities, tactile fidgets, visual stimuli, scents and music
- Group programming for therapeutic engagement, development of activity tolerance and to support transition to the next level of care