Effects of "occupations-based practice" on psychological and physical health of a patient with poor prognosis after Guillain-Barré syndrome: Focusing on meaningful work, health, and physical function

Abstract

We treated a man in his 70s who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). At the time of admission, the patient required full assistance in daily living due to the functional impairment of GBS. Psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression were also observed. We discussed "meaningful occupations" for the patient, and facilitated unified support by other professionals, which resulted in changes in work performance and satisfaction indices that exceeded the minimal important change and improved the patient's psychological and physical health status. The patient's evaluation of the empathy of the health care provider also exceeded those of previous studies. These results suggest that practices based on "meaningful occupations" may help to improve the psychological and physical health status of GBS patients with poor prognosis and promote collaboration among other professions.