The impact of the BEL intervention on levels of motivation, engagement and recovery in people who attend community mental health services

Background Community-based day centres (DC) in Sweden provide support to people with severe mental health problems. The role of DC motivation for outcomes in terms of occupational engagement and personal recovery is yet unknown.Aims To compare two groups who received DC services, one of which also received the 16-week Balancing Everyday Life (BEL) intervention. The focus was motivation for DC services at baseline and after 16 weeks of services, while also investigating the importance of DC motivation for the selected outcomes and service satisfaction.Material and Methods Sixty-five DC attendees were randomised to BEL (n = 27) or standard support (n = 38) and responded to questionnaires about motivation, the selected outcomes and satisfaction with DC services.Results The groups did not differ on any measured aspects of motivation; nor were changes seen over time. The BEL group, but not those receiving standard support, improved from baseline to 16 weeks on occupational engagement and recovery. Motivation for attending the DC was related to service satisfaction.Conclusion The BEL program could be a viable enrichment tool in the DC context and boost occupational engagement and personal recovery among the attendees.Significance The study provided knowledge of importance when developing community-based services while enhancing motivation.