Introduction: Health management is an important occupation. The patients with mental illness are lack relevant knowledge affected by symptoms. The Phoenix Cup Sports Game has been held in Taiwan for years, that to destigmatize mental illness to society and to promote patients' health. But there is a little discussion about experience of participating this competition for clinical practitioners and the clients with mental illness.
Objectives: We aim to share the experience of certain psychiatric institution clinical practitioners and the clients with mental illness preparing and participating the Phoenix Cup.
Methods: This was a retrospective study collected data from June to October 2024 at Taipei Psychiatric Center (TPC). The preparation involved recruiting staff and forming a team. Clients from TPC and affiliated institutions were screened and trained for 3 months. Training sessions were held weekly, with increased frequency one month before the event. The Phoenix Cup Sports Game marked the final stage.
Results: 9 staff members were recruited first. 339 clients with mental illness were screened. 35 clients attending the training designed by the staff in third stage. The last stage, 26 teams (about 800 people) participated in this sports game. We (9 staff, 21 clients) won 3 championships and 2 runner-ups in 5 team competitions, and 2nd and 6th places in 2 individual competitions, winning the national championship.
Conclusion: Participation in the Phoenix Cup Sports Game was beneficial in promoting health, self-efficacy and interpersonal interaction. The support of occupational therapists and other professions was crucial to make good performance, promoting the recovery process.