Mental Health Rehabilitation: An Overview

What Is Mental Health Rehabilitation?

Mental rehabilitation aims to help patients with persistent and severe mental illness develop intellectual, social, and emotional skills that aid them in living, learning, and working in a society with minimal professional support. Mental health rehabilitation helps the individual recover from difficulties due to long-term mental illness. The rehabilitation team includes psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, occupational therapists, vocational counselors, nutritionists, and social workers. Mental rehabilitation is also known as psychiatric rehabilitation or psychosocial rehabilitation.

What Are the Core Principles of Mental Rehabilitation?

The core principles of mental rehabilitation include the following:

• Promotes empowerment and self-determination.

• The program gives respect, hope, and belief that all can learn and grow.

• To improve the quality of all aspects of one’s life, including educational, occupational, social, financial, and spiritual aspects.

• Ensure that all services are culturally relevant to the individual.

• Help regain confidence.

• To learn and relearn life skills.

• To develop an independent lifestyle.

• The treatment is individual-centered.

• The program is goal-specific and not time specific.

Who Are the Candidates for Mental Rehabilitation?

The following are people who require mental rehabilitation:

• Patients with depression and anxiety.

• Individuals who have difficulty managing their daily activities.

• Individuals having symptoms of mental illness.

• Individuals who were abused or exploited by others.

• Individuals whose behavior is threatening to others.

• Patients who are substance or alcohol abusers.

• Individuals who face trauma and require support to restore their full functioning.

• Individuals with intellectual and cognitive disabilities.

• Individuals with severe chronic mental illnesses are not able to function without assistance.

• In cases where medication alone is not beneficial, the illness affects the individual’s concentration and ability to organize.

• Disabled individuals who require support in different aspects of life.

Which Are the Different Areas Covered Under Mental Rehabilitation?

The individuals who undergo mental rehabilitation aspire to a normal life.

These individuals need the following things in life as anyone else:

• Own housing.

• Adequate education.

• Meaningful career.

• Good social relationships.

• Good community participation with full rights.

Considering the above, the following areas are covered in mental rehabilitation:

1. Housing: One of the important aims of mental rehabilitation is to help chronically ill patients help in resettling from custodial institutions to community settings. For this, sheltered housing is provided in the community for these patients. The programs help the individual find affordable, safe, and appropriate housing. The support depends on whether the individual requires supportive care or can be fully functional. The program also helps find other housing options like group homes, halfway homes, serviced apartments, etc.

2. Career: Vocational rehabilitation is also part of the mental rehabilitation program. A good career plays an important role in one’s life as it helps to boost one’s confidence, self-esteem, professional relationships, quality of life, etc. It makes one financially independent and helps one integrate with society. Less disabled individuals are provided with support to help them find jobs, fill out application forms, and even have mock interviews conducted for them. The affected are taught vocational skills, which help them move on to competitive employment.

3. Building and Keeping Relationships: The family of the affected also needs support to cope with the increased burden they may face due to reduced societal support and poor coping resources. Family intervention programs are beneficial in such cases. Such programs help in reducing the relapse rate and in improving psychosocial functioning,

4. Community Functioning: Mental rehabilitation programs help the affected become better integrated within the community. The affected individuals are often discriminated against, rejected, and devalued by the community. Mental rehabilitation programs help individuals engage in their communities as much as possible.

Who Are Involved in Mental Rehabilitation?

Mental rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary program involving the following people:

1. Psychiatrist:

Psychiatrists are specialists in treating individuals with severe mental illnesses. They do a thorough assessment and provide treatment, including medications if needed. They also prescribe psychosocial interventions like social skills training as needed. They rule out other medical conditions that may produce similar symptoms. Medications are prescribed to manage the symptoms. Some mental health problems, like anxiety and depression, can be well controlled by medications.

2. Psychologists:

Psychologists provide family intervention programs, skills training, and cognitive behavioral therapy. They are professionals who have undergone training in psychosocial treatment.

3. Counselors:

Rehabilitation counselors help the affected become more independent and develop vocational skills. They analyze the affected person's needs and design and plan the rehabilitation program accordingly.

4. Occupational Therapist:

The main aim of occupational therapy is to help the affected individuals independently participate in their daily activities.

What Treatments Are Provided in Mental Rehabilitation?

The following treatment and supportive care are provided in mental rehabilitation programs:

• Medications.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - It is a type of talking therapy that focuses on short-term, problem-focused skill development in the following key areas:

• Emotions.

• Thoughts.

• Behavior.

• Environment.

• Physiology.

• Reduction or stoppage of alcohol and drug abuse.

• Support the individual in managing daily activities like cooking, personal hygiene, laundry, shopping, and other activities.

• Helps the affected with accommodation and provides security benefits.

• Provide legal advice if needed.

• Vocational rehabilitation services help in improving skills and finding jobs.

• Helps in developing a healthy lifestyle (which includes proper diet, regular exercise, quitting smoking, etc.).

What Are the Different Types of Mental Rehabilitation Programs?

The different types of mental rehabilitation programs include:

• Inpatient Rehabilitation:

In-patient rehabilitation means rehabilitation in a hospital setting. The length of the stay depends on goal achievement. The rehabilitation program helps the affected person improve self-esteem, build confidence, and become more hopeful.

• Community Rehabilitation:

Community rehabilitation supports those who have moved out of inpatient rehabilitation units to supported accommodation but still require support with their daily routine, both personally and socially. The community rehabilitation team continues the treatment and supportive care provided at the inpatient rehabilitation center. They help with career progress, daily activities, medications, looking after the home, etc.

Conclusion

Mental rehabilitation involves a multidisciplinary approach by psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, nurses, social workers, physical therapists, nutritionists, and counselors to help individuals with severe mental illness. It helps the affected develop skills that help them integrate with the community and remove the barriers and discrimination placed on them by society due to the illness.