Group activities

Nutrition, body language, codependence, affirmations....

coping skills, medication education (i know nurses run them, not sure about scope of student), good sleep patterns, exercise, stress management...

You'll find that you're patients have probably been through the entire rigmarole of psych-education at least once and know all about good nutrition, affirmations, coping skills, medications, sleep hygiene etc. Do something different with them. Something fun. Psych units can be become so gloomy and depressing, when that's what most of the patients are there for to start with!

I'd love to suggest taking the group for a mindful walk through a nice garden or suburban streets around the facility but as a student you'd need a bit of help with that in terms of safety. Could you do your activity (whatever it is) outside, even on the facility grounds? A bit of vitamin D therapy on top of everything else? You'll find that often, in hospital, psych patients don't see the sunlight a lot (generally only when they go to smoke!)

Maybe an art group outside? Use an ice cube tray or two and some paper plates to pour paints in/onto, hand out a bunch of paint brushes, have a couple of small buckets of water, plenty of tissues and some paper and DONT tell them to paint their feelings!

Ask them to paint something that (for example):

- inspires them

- that they are passionate about

- gives them hope

- that they love

Try and use the group to remind them of why they want to live, of why they want to fight their illnesses when it all seems to might.

Set a certain amount of time for painting and then ask the group if anyone wants to share anything about their painting. If they're all quiet, pick one of the more talkative ones to get the ball rolling and see if you can get a bit of discussion going between the patients about their "real" lives in the "real world" and the thinks that give them hope and passion and inspiration.

Part of it depends upon the age of your patients. Older patients like reminiscence groups. I have done current events groups that have gone well, getting news stories out of the newspaper or off television and getting patients' takes on them. Relaxation groups are always popular and are easy to run. Turn down the lights, put on a relaxation tape or CD and you're good to go. (A funny story about this: I played a relaxation tape that I hadn't used before. The tape had a bird call on it that was really odd, and it made the patients laugh every time they heard it. I had to switch to another tape, and I warned my colleagues not to use that one for future groups.)

Maybe have them participate in collage making? I know this can be therapeutic for people! They can use mixed media....paint, stickers, stencils, images, etc....give it a theme, maybe? Just my 2cents!

Hello, I have been working at my hospital for 6 months. I like to do the sittercise. we have a tape and the patients that I have worked with that are able to come to group have loved it and it gives them a real workout.... I modify it for some, telling the more energetic to get up and do the exercises and the ones who have injuries to do as much as they can...

Also I learned from a co-worker to do a self esteem card...

that seems to be helpful during the week when you have too many negative feelings... You fold a piece of paper in half sideways.... so it looks like a card. Then have them put their name on the top of the outside and inside the card.... then let them draw a picture to decorate... on the front you have them write 5 positive things they think about themselves... for example, good mom, good listener... and sooo on.. then you fold it so this page is on the inside and you pass it around to each member at the table.... and everybody writes 5 positives about that person... at the end you get your card back, you read out loud what people wrote but you have to look at the person who wrote the message and just say thank you to them each and every time you read a different persons five positives.... then you can also have them read their 5 positives.. I have modified this also due to acuity of the group. It brings smiles and positivity to the group... thank you...

if the patients are psychotic group, they have lower function than neurotic patients. you can arrange simple topic to discuss such as how to arrange daily activities, how to make friend ,...how to coping symptoms...etc.

for neurotic patient,they have higher function. we can talk about feeling about psychosoical events and then share the experience how to coping ...