“I’m not alone”: Women’s experiences of recovery oriented occupational therapy groups following depression

Background. Occupational therapy groups have been carried out as interventions in mental health settings across a variety of populations. Limited research explores the lived experience of individuals with depression following participation in recovery oriented occupational therapy groups. Purpose. To better understand how recovery oriented occupational therapy groups shape participants’ personal experience of daily life, including recovery. Method. Five individuals who had previously completed at least one recovery oriented occupational therapy group each participated in two in-depth semi-structured interviews. Analyses of the transcripts were completed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Findings. Participants’ experiences of the recovery oriented occupational therapy groups ranged from positive to negative, with variable impacts on their lived experiences. Two major themes emerged: (a) participants’ perception of “normal” and (b) navigation of meaningful participation. Implications. Increased understanding of what aspects of recovery oriented occupational therapy groups are meaningful to individuals with depression can help support their personal recovery process.