Mentally Ill Persons, Occupational Therapy, Psychiatric Diagnosis
Conditions
Brief summary
What is the goal of this study? The goal of this study is to learn if a 12-week occupational therapy programme based on the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) can improve life skills and quality of life in mentally ill offenders in Chennai, India. Who will take part? 12 mentally ill offenders from the Prisoners' Ward, Central Prison, Puzhal, Chennai will take part in this study. What will participants do? Participants will: Attend 24 structured occupational therapy sessions, twice a week for 12 weeks Be assessed for life skills using the Vellore Occupational Therapy Evaluation Scale (VOTES) Be assessed for quality of life using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire What are the main questions this study aims to answer? Does a MOHO-based occupational therapy programme improve life skills among mentally ill offenders? Does a MOHO-based occupational therapy programme improve quality of life among mentally ill offenders?
Detailed description
Mentally ill offenders represent a particularly vulnerable forensic population, frequently exhibiting impaired life skills and reduced quality of life (QoL) as a consequence of prolonged institutionalisation and limited occupational engagement. This quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of a 12-week Model of Human Occupation (MOHO)-based occupational therapy programme delivered to 12 purposively sampled mentally ill offenders in the Prisoners' Ward, Central Prison, Puzhal, Chennai, India. Participants received 24 structured occupational therapy sessions delivered twice weekly. Life skills were assessed using the Vellore Occupational Therapy Evaluation Scale (VOTES), and quality of life was measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life - Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF). Paired-sample analysis (IBM SPSS Statistics, Version 29) revealed statistically significant improvement in life skills (p = .006), whereas no significant changes were observed across the four WHOQOL-BREF domains (p \> .05). Findings indicate that MOHO-based interventions effectively enhance life skills in this forensic mental health population, supporting the integration of occupational therapy into forensic psychiatric rehabilitation programmes. The limited impact on perceived quality of life warrants further investigation through extended and individually tailored intervention designs.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALModel of Human Occupation (MOHO)
Description of MOHO (Model of Human Occupation): The Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) is a client-centred occupational therapy theoretical framework developed by Gary Kielhofner in 1980. MOHO explains how humans are motivated to engage in occupation, how occupational patterns are organised, and how occupation is performed within the environment. It is built upon three core subsystems: Volition- refers to the motivation for occupation, encompassing personal causation, values, and interests \*Habituation- refers to the organisation of occupation into patterns and routines through roles and habits Performance Capacity- refers to the physical and mental abilities that enable occupational performance MOHO emphasises that meaningful occupational engagement is essential for health, well-being, and quality of life. It considers the dynamic interaction between the person, their occupation, and the environment. MOHO-based interventions are widely used in psychiatric and
Sponsors
Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
12 members were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criterai and intervention was provided
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to 64 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Offenders committed crimes under the section IPC \& CrPc of Indian Constitution April,1 1974 Offenders from age 18 to 64 (14.1 % to 13.9 % Male prevalence) Male offenders with or without differential diagnosis of psychotic symptoms HCR-20 V3 Risk assessment tool score ranging from low to moderate level Short Orientation Memory Concentration Test (OMCT) scores ranging from 0-19
Exclusion criteria
* Offenders with Physical disabilities Offenders with Activity Limitations
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Life skills | 3 months | Mentally ill offenders frequently experience significant deterioration of essential life skills due to prolonged institutionalization, psychiatric symptoms, and limited occupational engagement. Life skills rehabilitation is therefore critical in this forensic population for the following reasons: Addresses occupational dysfunction by targeting volition, habituation, and performance capacity through MOHO-based intervention Reduces recidivism by equipping offenders with practical competencies necessary for community reintegration Enhances quality of life across physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains Supports forensic psychiatric rehabilitation\*\* through structured, evidence-based occupational therapy Promotes social inclusion by fostering self-efficacy, role competence, and community participation Empowers a vulnerable population by addressing occupational needs and supporting recovery-oriented outcomes |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Quality of Life (QoL) | 3 months | Quality of life (QoL) is a fundamental outcome measure in the rehabilitation of mentally ill offenders. It reflects an individual's perceived well-being across physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains. Among mentally ill offenders, QoL is severely compromised due to psychiatric illness, incarceration, stigma, and occupational deprivation. Improving QoL is essential in forensic rehabilitation because: Reflects holistic recovery beyond symptom reduction, encompassing functional independence and well-being Measures rehabilitation outcomes across physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains using WHOQOL-BREF Supports reintegration by improving social participation, interpersonal functioning, and community living Reduces institutionalization effects by restoring meaningful occupational roles and routines through MOHO Promotes mental health recovery by addressing individual occupational needs and priorities |
Countries
India
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORSriBalaji R Mr, Master in Occupational Therapy
Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and research,Porur,Chennai-600116
Outcome results
None listed