The experiences of people with severe mental health conditions participating in the Occupation Matters Programme: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

Introduction: The Occupation Matters Programme is an occupational therapy intervention promoting recovery in people with severe mental health conditions, adapted from the Lifestyle Redesign ^© approach. With the increasing demand for mental health services and the United Kingdom’s current financial position, there is reason to research the Occupation Matters Programme. Method: Interpretative phenomenological analysis provided a rich account of the experience of the Occupation Matters Programme, eliciting the service user voice. Four participants participated in semi-structured interviews following session 10 and at the completion of the 20-week programme. Data analysis followed the step-by-step interpretative phenomenological analysis guidelines, enabling themes to be identified that reflected participants’ experiences. Findings: Three major themes were revealed: connecting with others; experiencing an opened-up world through a temporary project and finding a place in the world through a changing sense of self. Three participants described a temporary improvement in their mental health at the halfway point, which became more permanent by the completion of the programme. Conclusions: This study suggests that the Occupation Matters Programme was influential in the participants’ recovery journeys and provides evidence for Wilcock’s Doing, Being, Belonging and Becoming framework. It encourages occupational therapists to concentrate on occupation-centred practice, occupational integrity and implementing all four aspects of Wilcock’s framework.