Parent-child activity group treatment in preventive psychiatry

This article describes the role that occupational therapy played in a community outreach program instituted collabora- tively by a major teaching hospital and a local day care center. The program focused on preschool children at risk for developing psychiatric disorders. A parent-child activity group was introduced and developed by an occupational therapist who was a member of the hospital staff. The frame of reference, the parent-child intervention including the use of play and group process, and the method of monitoring change in families are explained. A case study is also provided.