The application of concept analysis in the occupational therapy treatment process in mental health

The objective of this study was to construct a coding schema for analysing the occupational therapy process, often described as formulating the treatment goal, implementing treatment and evaluating the effect of treatment. The concepts underlying the terms treatment goal, treatment intervention and effect or outcome of treatment, as used in occupational therapy, were defined and an analytical template of questions was constructed, using the analysis method designed by Walker and Avant (1995). The method included a third part; definitions of the three concepts were formulated on the basis of excerpts from occupational therapy textbooks in mental health that are well known in Sweden. The results showed that the concept of treatment goal included the attributive components planning goals, step-by-step goal, and group goal; the concept of treatment intervention included the components planning process, available resources and level; and the concept of effect or outcome of treatment included type and measurement. The excerpts for each of the components were then summarized as statements. These statements were converted into the questions that constituted the template. Third, these questions were used to test the usefulness of the template in analysing the occupational therapy content of 10 scientific reports on individuals with psychosis. All but two questions served to identify attributes of the three concepts. The template was useful for analysing the content of 10 research studies relevant to the occupational therapy process in mental health. Copyright © 1998 Whurr Publishers Ltd.