The Effect of Counseling on the Leisure Behavior of Patients Discharged from Lakeshore Mental Health Institute

The purpose of this study was threefold: 1) it implement a three-month pilot study to determine the feasibility of setting up a leisure counseling program at Lakeshore Mental Health Institute, 2) to discover if leisure counseling influenced the utilization of the community resources following discharge of patients from Lakeshore Mental Health Institute, and 3) to begin an investigation into the influence of recreation and leisure counseling on the recidivism rate of patients at Lakeshore Mental Health Institute.

By random selection, the populations, consisting of sixty-two Knox County patients housed in the Admission Unit at Lakeshore Mental Health Institute, was divided into two groups, an experimental group and a control group.

Both groups were evaluated as to their skills and interests by means of an interview and an activity questionnaire. Lists of Knox County recreational facilities and programs were given to subjects in each of the two groups. The experimental group received leisure counseling daily while hospitalized, and the subjects were followed after discharge by home visits and leisure counseling by the researchers every two weeks for a period of three months. Referral was made to recreation resources in the community.

At the end of the study period, data which were collected indicated that, after discharge and as a result of the counseling, 56 per cent of the experimental group used the community resources. By comparison, only 9 per cent of the control group who were discharged used community recreational resources. It was concluded that a leisure counseling program could successfully be implemented at Lakeshore Mental Health Institute. It was determined that leisure counseling did influence the utilization of the community resources. It was concluded that it was too early to determine the effect that leisure counseling had on the recidivism rate.

It was suggested that the study be extended to last one year. In addition, the expansion of the recreation program at Lakeshore Mental Health Institute to include leisure counseling was suggested.

It was recommended that development of recreational/social resources for patients discharged from Lakeshore Mental Health Institute be made. The services of a leisure counselor were felt to be necessary in developing the program.