Facilitating intrinsic motivation in clients with mental illness

This article presents a set of practice guidelines for occupational therapy clinicians to resolve the problem of motivational deficits in clients with mental illness. The theoretical base for the practice guidelines is derived from self-determination theory and learned helplessness theory. Both theories describe motivational deficits as a result of cumulative frustration experiences in the past and an individual's perception that outcomes of events are uncontrollable. The General Causality Orientations Scale is used to assess motivational deficits. Several intervention guidelines are proposed to facilitate intrinsically motivated behavior. Two case examples are reported to illustrate the clinical application of these intervention guidelines.