重量：1.1kg 　頁數：464    裝訂：平裝 　開數：28 x 21.6 　印刷：單色

圖：21

表：41

Introduction to the Fifth Edition

The literature reports occupational therapy group interventions much more frequently today than 2 decades ago when this book was first published. Furthermore, occupational therapy groups now target not only mental health adult clients, but also children, youth, and older adults with a variety of physical, neurological, and developmental health conditions. We can speculate that part of the reason is the availability of more f lexible sources of funding for occupational therapy services, allowing reimbursement for group interventions by medical insurance or from public sources. But more impor-tantly, we now have an abundance of evidence that group interventions work, especially when the occupational therapy group leaders skillfully facilitate the development of social and emotional support so vital to the client’s sustained effort in facing health challenges (Bandura, 2001). Also, groups are cost effective, because they support self-management and self-efficacy, both important factors for preventing illness and keeping people well, away from hospitals or costly institutions, and living in their communities (e.g., the Well Elderly Study, Clark et al., 2011).

In this Fifth Edition, some things have changed, while others have stayed the same. The basic method for conducting occupational therapy groups remains unchanged because Cole’s seven steps are widely taught and used, both nationally and internationally, and they still work as well as they did in the beginning. The seven steps are mainly a teaching tool, to prepare professional students for leading the highest level therapy groups without missing any learning opportunities for the members. These steps were always intended to be adapted in consideration of different clients, cultures, populations, treatment settings, and frames of reference. Their f lexibility has made the steps a lasting tool for practice. The basics roots of group dynamics likewise remain constant, with, of course, many evolving areas of new research to add to our knowledge about how different types of group work and what qualities make groups therapeutic. The broader theories that underlie group intervention in occupational therapy are reviewed in Chapter 3, such as client-centered practice, complexity theory, and nonlinear science. The entire book is updated in consideration of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process, Third Edition (American Occupational Therapy Association), which was updated in 2014.