The leisure satisfaction of people with psychiatric disabilities

Leisure is considered to be an important part of life for every individual. This is even more so for people who have limited employment prospects and life options. The primary handicaps associated with mental illness create problems with social relationships and can hinder individuals from participating in or enjoying leisure pursuits. The aim of this exploratory study was to examine leisure satisfaction in a sample of one hundred adults with a mental illness who were clients of an Australian community mental health rehabilitation service. The Leisure Satisfaction Survey and the Life Skills Profile were administered to these clients to determine their leisure satisfaction and general functioning. Contrary to expectations, results indicated that the clients of mental health rehabilitation services believe that their leisure pursuits provide them with intellectual stimulation, enjoyable relationships with others and relaxation, suggesting that they are very satisfied with the activities they engage in during their leisure time. In general, these clients were more satisfied with their leisure than the normative population. Consistent with expectations, clients with lower disability and in particular with high capacity for social contact were most satisfied with their leisure pursuits. The significance of these results and the utility of the Leisure Satisfaction Survey with this population are discussed.