Pilot Study of Let's Get Organized: A Group Intervention for Improving Time Management

Abstract

Importance: There is a need for evidence-based occupational therapy interventions to enhance time management in people with time management difficulties.

Objective: To pilot test the first part of the Let's Get Organized (LGO) occupational therapy intervention in a Swedish context by exploring enhancements of time management skills, aspects of executive functioning, and satisfaction with daily occupations in people with time management difficulties because of neurodevelopmental or mental disorders.

Design: One-group pretest-posttest design with 3-mo follow-up.

Setting: Outpatient psychiatric and habilitation settings.

Participants: Fifty-five people with confirmed or suspected mental or neurodevelopmental disorder and self-reported difficulties with time management in daily life.

Intervention: Swedish version of Let's Get Organized (LGO-S) Part 1, with structured training in the use of cognitive assistive techniques and strategies using trial-and-error learning strategies in 10 weekly group sessions of 1.5 hr.

Outcomes and measures: Time management, organization and planning, and emotional regulation were measured with the Swedish version of the Assessment of Time Management Skills (ATMS-S). Executive functioning was measured with the Swedish version of the Weekly Calendar Planning Activity, and satisfaction with daily occupations was assessed with the Satisfaction With Daily Occupations measure.

Results: Participants displayed significantly improved time management, organization and planning skills, and emotional regulation, as well as satisfaction with daily occupations. Aspects of executive functioning were partly improved. ATMS-S results were sustained at 3-mo follow-up.

Conclusion and relevance: LGO-S Part 1 is a promising intervention for improving time management skills and satisfaction with daily occupations and should be investigated further.

What this article adds: This study shows that LGO-S Part 1 is feasible for use in psychiatric and habilitation outpatient services. The results are promising for improved time management skills, organization and planning skills, and satisfaction with daily occupations and need to be confirmed in further studies.