Programme characteristics and everyday occupations in day centres and clubhouses in Sweden
Sammanfattning
Background: Meaningful everyday occupations are important for mental health and recovery
and are provided by both community-based day centres (DCs) and clubhouses. It is unknown,
however, if any of the two has more recovery-promoting features.
Objective: This nine-month longitudinal study compared DC and clubhouses, concerning the
users’ perceptions of unit and programme characteristics, and aspects of everyday occupations in
terms of engagement and satisfaction. Stability over time in these respects, as well as motivation
for participation and relationships with occupational engagement and satisfaction, were explored.
Methods: Participants from 10 DCs (n ¼ 128) and 5 clubhouses (n ¼ 57) completed self-report
instruments.
Results: DC attendees rated lower levels on two organizational factors; choice and ability to influence
decisions, and the unit’s social network. Motivation showed to be an important factor for
perceived occupational engagement, which did not differ between the two groups. DC attendees
were more satisfied with their everyday occupations at baseline, but that factor increased more
in the clubhouse group and there was no group difference at follow-up. The unit and programme
characteristics and occupational engagement showed stability over time.
Discussion: Clubhouses seemed more advantageous and DC services may consider developing
users’ opportunities for choice and decision-making, and peer support.