Adult Disorders
A client is admitted to an intensive residential program to address substance dependence and recovery. Which interventions would be MOST appropriate to use in this residential program with this client?
A. Develop coping skills to handle occupational challenges
B. Avoid engagement in occupations and meaningful activities
C. Reduce self-expression in order to reduce likelihood of relapse
D. Promote rigid lifestyle patterns to promote sustained sobriety
The development of coping skills, identifying and engaging in meaningful occupations, enhancing life skills to develop lifestyle patterns, and enhancing communication, self-expression, and self management skills are all beneficial in intensive residential program to address substance dependence and recovery with this population.
The occupational therapy practitioner determines the psychodynamic approach to be most appropriate for this group and implements a facilitative leadership style. Based on the approach selected and the type of leadership style, which interventions are MOST APPROPRIATE for the occupational therapy practitioner to implement?
A. Brainstorming
B. Exercise and dance
C. Art as therapy
D. Structured craft projects
E. Discussion of age appropriate role changes
F. Meal preparation activities
Based on the psychodynamic approach using facilitative leadership, interventions and activities that encourage group input, individual involvement, personal expression, and exploration of change are recommended.
An occupational therapy practitioner is working with a pediatric student to address social engagement and exchanges. To practice the skills, the occupational therapy practitioner facilitated the student engaging with peers during a board game as part of indoor recess. Which BEST describes the intervention approach the occupational therapy practitioner has implemented with this child?
A. Occupations and activities
B. Group interventions
C. Virtual interventions
D. Advocacy interventions
Group interventions are interventions that develop skills for social interaction and desired occupational participation.
An OTR is conducting a pain management group with individuals who experience chronic pain. Which of the following is MOST important for the OTR to address?
A. Pain is an objective experience
B. Pain is a subjective experience
C. Pain intensity is predictable
D. Pain tolerance is the same for everyone
Pain is a subjective and multi-faceted experience with many independent variables that include mood, attention, prior pain experiences, family influences, and cultural factors.
An OTR is working with an adolescent in an inpatient psychiatric unit who was recently diagnosed with conduct disorder. Evaluation results indicate the adolescent is socially aggressive, has decreased impulse control and fine and gross motor skills, and has a poor self-concept. What should the OTR focus on in the INITIAL intervention sessions with this client?
A. Identifying coping strategies to manage impulsivity
B. Encouraging participation in self-expression groups
C. Practicing motor skills for completing responsibilities at home
D. Providing opportunities for success in a structured environment
Providing opportunities for success in a structured environment should be the focus of the OTR in the initial sessions of intervention for a client with conduct disorder.
An occupational therapy practitioner is working with a group of Vietnam veterans at a community-based mental health center. The veterans are exhibiting symptoms of substance use disorder and post-traumatic stress syndrome. What expressive/projective group intervention is MOST appropriate for improving healthy defenses and coping strategies?
A. Practicing high-intensity physical activities to re-enact military drills as a form of stress relief
B. Creating artwork to explore and express emotions related to past traumatic experiences
C. Engaging in competitive gaming sessions to foster camaraderie and distract from symptoms
The most appropriate expressive/projective group intervention should foster emotional expression, self-awareness, and coping skills in a safe, non-triggering manner. Creative activities like art therapy allow participants to explore and process emotions related to trauma, which aligns with the therapeutic goals of improving healthy defenses and coping strategies. Approaches that risk traumatization or focus solely on distraction without addressing the underlying issues are less effective.
An occupational therapy practitioner is developing a group for new mothers who are having difficulty adjusting to the new role and may be at risk for postpartum depression. In order to address the needs of these clients, which frame of reference is MOST appropriate for the occupational therapy practitioner to use with this group to address this change in life?
A. Behavioral
B. Cognitive disability
C. Developmental
Developmental groups focus on points of change, crises, or conflicts that occur and must be resolved prior to moving forward. In this case, the new role of motherhood is the point of change that has occurred and is addressed.
An OTR is working with a child in elementary school experiencing extreme poverty and homelessness. Which intervention strategy BEST describes a tier 2 intervention for this population?
A. Analyze the child’s specific needs and collaborate with mental health team to coordinate care for those intensive needs
B. Provide a school-wide in-service training on adverse childhood events and its effects on learning
C. Provide tips for promoting mental health and successful functioning in school
D. Develop and run groups to foster resiliency and social engagement and participation
Developing and running groups to foster resiliency and social engagement and participation best describes a tier 2 strategy that an occupational therapist would implement in the classroom for a child experiencing extreme poverty and homelessness.
An occupational therapist is treating a client with chronic complex regional pain syndrome in an outpatient setting. The therapist is familiar with the client as the client has been referred for pain management in the past; however, previous interventions have been unsuccessful. Based on the client’s history with rehabilitation, which interventions would be most appropriate for the occupational therapy practitioner to consider?
A. Ensure client adheres to pharmacological interventions and make recommendations
B. Provide physical fitness and exercise therapy to address persistent pain
C. Relapse management to address flare-ups and pain episodes
D. Cognitive behavioral interventions to identify and modify thoughts related to pain
Cognitive behavioral interventions encourage the client to better understand the role the brain and thought processes have on pain and pain management.
An adolescent who has a conduct disorder has recently been admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit. Evaluation results indicate that the adolescent has a poor self-concept, decreased fine and gross motor coordination, and is socially aggressive. What should be the INITIAL focus of intervention for this adolescent?
A. Presenting options for pre-vocational exploration and practice
B. Encouraging participation in self-expression group activities
C. Providing opportunities for success in a consistent structured environment
D. Enhancing physical abilities for completing responsibilities at home
providing structure and consistency is helpful for adolescents who have poor impulse control. Successful experiences help to build self-concept.
How can occupational therapy interventions help individuals with alcohol use disorder to reintegrate into daily activities and roles, and develop healthier coping strategies to reduce reliance on alcohol as a maladaptive coping mechanism?
A. Prescribing medication to manage alcohol cravings
B. Engaging in meaningful activities and routines
C. Providing cognitive behavioral therapy sessions to address underlying emotional issues
Occupational therapy can assist individuals in identifying and participating in activities that provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment, thereby reducing the desire to use alcohol as a coping mechanism
An occupational therapy practitioner is working with a pediatric client on skills that were not mastered at the appropriate age. The occupational therapy practitioner is working on targeting missing skills in order to support progression to the next developmental level using age-appropriate skills including coordinating sensory information. Which BEST represents the frame of reference the occupational therapist is using to guide treatment?
A. Biomechanical frame of reference
B. Sensory integration frame of reference
C. Developmental frame of reference
The developmental frame of reference assumes that one’s behaviors are impacted by the extent to which one has mastered the previous stages. This frame of reference is dynamic and considers that skill acquisition and remediation fluctuates as people go through stages of life. The developmental frame of reference states that one must complete developmental stages sequentially and at individual paces.
An older adult who has limited family support and limited engagement in leisure and social activities has been referred to OT. Upon evaluation, the OTR utilizes the Activity Card Sort. Which BEST reflects why the OTR selected this assessment?
A. Determine ADL and IADL independence and safety
B. Determine the role of work in the client’s life
C. Determine IADL performance and social participation
D. Determine efficiency and safety with IADL tasks
The Activity Card Sort allows practitioners to document the client’s participation in IADL, leisure, and social activities.
A teenager with ADHD mixed type struggles with self-care in the morning. The occupational therapist is working with facilitating improved morning routines. Which of the following strategies is recommended to improve self-care participation and completion?
A. Schedule specific times to complete morning self-care tasks
B. Create a list of all tasks that need to be completed in the morning
C. Remove some morning self-care tasks from personal expectations
Scheduling times to complete tasks can help organize thoughts and time sequences for children with ADHD.
An OTR is conducting a cooperative group within a drug and alcohol rehab inpatient program. The members are discussing ways to develop and initiate leisure skills once discharged from the program. One of the group members becomes angry during the discussion and stands up shouting and disrupting the group. What should the OTR do FIRST?
A. Ask the group member to leave – disruptive behavior and disobeying the facility rules of non-violence is not tolerated
B. Alert the unit nurse, asking for the member of the group to be removed
C. Redirect the member, using active listening and focus on coping skills as an activity
D. Schedule the member for a 1:1 session to work on anger management skills
When working with clients in mental health settings, active listening and redirecting the clients back to the task is often the first step in diffusing a stressful or tense situation.
An OTR has completed an evaluation on a young adult who has substance use disorder, Results indicate the client has maintained sobriety and steady employment for the past six months, but continue to have an unrealistic self-concept, decreased socialization, and inadequate independent living skills. Which of the following objectives should be included as part of the client’s INITIAL intervention plan for supporting the participation in occupations.
A. Transition to independent living with a supportive friend
B. Acquisition of practical skills for basic life management
C. Engagement in leisure activities with social acquaintances
D. Education about work stressors that contribute to relapse
The acquisition of practical life management skills is essential in enabling the client to develop a sense of control and autonomy for supporting participation in meaningful occupations.
How can an OTR use projective activities (e.g., creative arts, storytelling) to help clients with mental health conditions explore unconscious conflicts and develop healthier coping strategies?
A) Encourage clients to use symbolic expression through creative activities to gain insight into emotions.
B) Avoid discussing emotions and focus only on task completion.
C) Use only structured worksheets and checklists to measure progress.
D) Require clients to verbalize their thoughts directly rather than using symbolic activities.
A: Projective activities allow clients to express unconscious thoughts and emotions safely, supporting self-awareness and emotional processing. Avoiding emotional discussion (B) limits therapeutic potential, while structured worksheets (C) may not allow for deep exploration. Requiring direct verbalization (D) may be challenging for clients who struggle with emotional expression.
An adolescent diagnosed with autism experiences social participation limitations. During occupational therapy sessions, the occupational therapy practitioner implements the use of social stories and picture books to promote appropriate social responses. Which BEST describes the intervention the occupational therapy practitioner has implemented with this adolescent?
A. Skill focused interventions
B. Environment focused interventions
C. Peer support interventions
Skill focused interventions are aimed to improve communication and include cognitive-behavioral approaches to teach self monitoring, use of prompting picture books, and social stories to facilitate social participation and interactions.
In what ways can an occupational therapist assess and modify a client’s daily routines to promote a balanced use of time between work, rest, and leisure?
A) Encourage the client to work longer hours to maximize productivity.
B) Use an activity log to analyze daily routines and identify areas of imbalance.
C) Focus only on leisure activities to reduce stress.
D) Eliminate all non-essential activities to simplify the client’s schedule.
B: Using an activity log helps therapists and clients identify time-use patterns, ensuring a balanced routine that includes work, rest, and leisure. Encouraging excessive work (A) may lead to burnout, while focusing only on leisure (C) neglects other essential occupations. Eliminating all non-essential activities (D) may reduce engagement in meaningful occupations.
An occupational therapy practitioner is working with a 17-year-old adolescent with autism spectrum disorder. The adolescent is planning on enrolling into a 4-year college after graduation. The adolescent does well academically except when routines are disrupted. The adolescent loses track of time during classes, startles often by the school bell resulting in disorganization, and struggles to transition between classes. What is the MOST appropriate intervention to use to promote independence in transitions between classes?
A. Program an app on a cell phone that provides visual alerts to enable the adolescent to move between classes in an orderly and timely manner
B. Use a visual handwritten schedule to keep on track and go from task to task during the college day
C. Carry a detailed calendar outlining the day with a checklist of classes to check off after attending each class
An intervention to promote ease of transitions between classes for an adolescent with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder who is sensitive to sound includes the use of a cell phone app that provides a visual alert.
An OTR is implementing a leisure education program for clients who participate in an outpatient substance use disorder program. Which data is MOST BENEFICIAL to use for measuring the effectiveness of the program?
A. Amount of family and community support for client before entering the program and upon completion of the program
B. Number of client pursuing leisure interests before and after completing the program
C. Self assessment questionnaire the clients fill out during the last session
D. Frequency of contact between staff and client during program
Outcomes should be measured using observable performance based or action oriented results
According to Mosey’s developmental theory, how should an occupational therapist structure interventions for a child with delays in motor or social interaction skills?
A) Focus on isolated skill-building activities without social interaction.
B) Provide structured, sequential learning experiences that build on previously mastered skills.
C) Allow the child to engage in any activity without considering developmental readiness.
D) Expect the child to independently figure out solutions without guided practice.
B: Mosey’s developmental skills theory emphasizes a sequential learning process, where foundational skills must be mastered before progressing to more complex ones. Structured interventions help reinforce skills systematically. Isolating skills (A) ignores the importance of integration, while unstructured activities (C) may not provide appropriate developmental support. Expecting independent problem-solving (D) without guidance may be ineffective for children with developmental delays.
An occupational therapy practitioner provides consultation to a school district that is hoping to engage adolescents with disability in more school-based activities. During an observation at a local high school, the OTR observes a school-wide assembly where the adolescents with disability are segregated into a specific area within the gymnasium, off to the side. The occupational therapy practitioner notes that there is little social engagement among the adolescents with disabilities; however, there is a lot of social engagement occurring outside of that specific area. Which educational topic is MOST appropriate for the occupational therapy practitioner to provide to the school district?
A. Self-image of adolescents with disability
B. Capacity limits social participation
C. Performance may be limited due to disability
D. Environment supports social participation
The environment plays a significant role in the social participation and engagement for adolescents.
How can occupational therapists use graded activity engagement to help clients manage chronic pain while preventing occupational deprivation?
A) Encourage clients to avoid all activities that cause discomfort.
B) Use a "no pain, no gain" approach to increase tolerance.
C) Gradually introduce meaningful activities with appropriate pacing and rest breaks.
D) Focus solely on passive modalities like heat and massage.
C: Graded activity engagement helps clients manage chronic pain by promoting participation in meaningful activities while preventing deconditioning and occupational deprivation. Pacing and rest breaks help prevent overexertion and flare-ups. Avoiding activities entirely (A) leads to further disability, while excessive pushing (B) may worsen pain. Relying only on passive modalities (D) does not support functional independence.
An OTR is working with a group of teens with oppositional defiant disorder. When preparing for the group, which of the following would be MOST effective?
A. An activity aimed at identifying roles within the group; the OTR provides facilitation
B. An activity that allows each group member to work independently on projects of interest
C. An activity focused on social skills and interactions; the OTR provides a structured environment with clear set outcomes and group rules
D. Each member shares experiences after completing a leisure check-list, focusing on thoughts and emotions the list provoked
Task-oriented groups provide structure and leadership by the OTR to promote engagement