Decreasing deliberate self-harm of a patient with depression by acquiring stress coping skills during an occupational therapy multidisciplinary approach

Abstract

This case study investigates the treatment options, including gaining stress-coping skills through occupational therapy, for a patient with depression and repeating, deliberate self-harm. The patient used deliberate self-harm as a stress-coping skill, and the goal was to “decreasing deliberate self-harm”. Occupational intervention aimed to discover new coping skills and ways to lessen stressors. As a result, the number of wrist cutting instances decreased, and the patient has been able to apply new coping skills. A multidisciplinary approach to occupational therapy may lead to a generalized reduction in stressors resulting in an overall decrease in self-harm, a formation of new stress-coping skills, and acquisition of cognitive flexibility in everyday life.