Research Shows Interoception as a Promising MH OT Intervention
I have been adapting Kelly Mahler's work for quite some time now, I would assume I am not the only one. The fact is, many of us (OTs) often have to upgrade or modify EBP/OT interventions to fit adult mental health settings/populations. This is strange, frustrating, and at times just downright annoying because our profession began in psychiatric settings but if you have been reading my past blog entries...we all know this is my SOAP box.
I heard what I thought was a rumor that Kelly Mahler was conducting researching and developing interoception tools to use for adults with mental health diagnoses. Well to say I was thrilled about this is an understatement. Any of my past fieldwork student know I often point them to her work all too often. To my surprise, while surfing AJOT, a new research article was just posted March 28th, 2020.
One of the biggest topics that many of my blog readers suggest is sensory modulation and do not worry this is a bigger blog post that will be conducted in a series in the near future here on mOTivate minds. But first, lets discuss the one sensory system that is less well-known. Interoception.... which is also known as the eight sensory system.
Interoception: is the sense that allows you to read or process your internal stimuli. Throughout your body you have receptors specifically in your organs and skin that inform you to eat, sleep, retreat, defecate, urinate, meditate, or seek emotional comfort.
In general, interoception allows us to feel what is going on inside our bodies. This ultimately is a product of the central nervous system (CNS). If an individual has sensory processing difficulties, the brain may have trouble making sense of interoceptive input which may impact an individual's ability to know when they are in pain, when their bladder is full, or touch could even feel like pain if the receptors are not processed accurately.
Individuals that have interoceptive difficulties can also have difficulty feeling or processing their emotions. This is why this "hidden" sense is so important for individuals with mental health conditions. Research has also shown it is also helpful for individuals with substance abuse.
Our emotions are often linked to physical sensations for example, if you become angry you might clench your teeth, have a faster heart beat, face is flushed and your muscles tighten. This is all linked to interception. If your interoception system is working well then you can sense what your body needs and take action to meet that need. If this system is not working well then sensory modulation difficulties are occurring. Just like other senses, this can be an over-response or an under-response. Discrimination deficits can also occur in this system for example, if an individual can not accurately identify where the sensations are coming from then confusion, anxiety, and distraction can occur because they cannot meet their body's needs.
Difficulties in Interoception can also impact self-regulation, self-awareness, social thinking, flexibility of mind, problem solving, intuitive social skills and social participation. OT intervention aims at improving interoceptive awareness. For other intervention ideas please see references listed below or go to Kelly Mahlers website for more information https://www.kelly-mahler.com/
Currently, Kelly Mahlers research is not fully completed with stating "Results support the conception that interoceptive processing varies with mental health wellness. Deeper analysis of these
relationships to fully realize the implications of faulty processing for each diagnostic category will strengthen our fidelity in designing
theoretically sound interventions for clinical testing". It is still very hopeful that research is being conducted.
References
Kelly Mahler, Ellen McLaughlin, Denis Anson; Interoception Across Varying Degrees of Mental Wellness. Am J Occup Ther 2020;74(4_Supplement_1):7411505230. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S1-PO9513
Mahler, K. (2017). Interoception: The Eighth Sensory System. Kansas: AAPC Publishing.
Mehling, W.E., Proce, C. Daubenmier, J.J., Acree, M. Bartmess, E., & Stewart, A. (2012), The multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness (MAIA). PLoS One, 7(11),e48230. Doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048230.
