Psychiatric leisure rehabilitation: conceptualization and illustration

Leisure or recreational rehabilitation is not much developed in psychiatric rehabilitation. I present some definitions and a (very) brief history of the notion of leisure, as well as the role of leisure in health. I then describe a novel classification of leisure activities relevant to people with psychiatric disabilities. Following that, I conceptualize the process of psychiatric leisure rehabilitation, illustrated by a case study. I conclude with the benefits of psychiatric leisure rehabilitation and with suggestions for further study and development in this field. Leisure or recreational activities are central in modern life. Not so for persons who have serious and disabling mental disorders. This is manifest even in psychiatric rehabilitation, which mostly addresses vocational and residential--rather than leisure--environments (Anthony, Cohen, Farkas & Gagne, 2002; Corrigan, 2003). Yet leisure is important for persons with psychiatric disabilities, perhaps especially so for those who are not successful or satisfied in vocational environments. This paper outlines a conceptual framework for psychiatric leisure rehabilitation, based on a novel classification of leisure activities, and illustrates this with a case vignette. But first, some definitions and a (very) brief history of the notion of leisure is in order, as well as a presentation of facts about the role of leisure in health (physical and mental).