General hospital psychiatry: implications for occupational therapy--one case study

The hospitalization policy in general hospital psychiatric wards is for crisis intervention. The high cost in such a ward in Israel (in comparison with the cost in psychiatric hospitals) is justified since the patient is treated both physically and mentally. Some cases include patients who suffer from chronic diseases and aggravation of their physical condition causes severe mental reactions. In these cases, the short-term psychiatric admission is often in conflict with the condition of the patient and the desired treatment programme. The occupational therapist whose professional values are founded on the quality of life and his or her holistic approach to the patient, often has to deal with a serious dilemma: hospital policy on one hand and the patient's needs on the other. This dilemma is presented in its most acute form in the case study discussed in this article.