Program Implementation of Occupational Therapy Group Interventions for Women with Addictions

Objective: To determine if occupational therapy group services were beneficial for women in an entry-level addiction recovery center by utilizing a comprehensive post intervention survey. Methods: Female residents enrolled in the entry phase of a long-term addiction center participated in occupational therapy (OT) group sessions led by OTA and MOT students from the University of Louisiana Monroe. At the end of the semester, participants of the group sessions autonomously completed a 5-point Likert scale survey of 10-statements to rate the potential benefits of the occupational therapy interventions. This quantitative study investigated survey results in a two-year period supervised and directed by the two authors. Results: The survey results proved that OT is beneficial and needed in addiction rehabilitation for women with substance abuse. Conclusion: This academic-based program displayed the importance of implementing occupational therapy group interventions for women with addictions to enhance meaningful daily activities. Peer-reviewed articles that directly addressed known occupational performance issues and limiting factors commonly found within this population were facilitated through evidenced-based group sessions. The 5-point Likert instrument used in this quantitative study revealed powerful findings supporting the benefits of occupational therapy intervention in the recovery process.