Low mood and motivation can be significant barriers to rehabilitation and recovery.
The person may seem unmotivated and disengaged in daily activities. However, this could be due to difficulties with certain cognitive functions, such as planning, remembering, problem-solving and decision-making.
When a person presents with low mood or poor motivation, identify the aetiology of the presentation (it can be multifactorial).
- Is it part of their cognitive impairment?
- Is it an emotional response to the injury or condition?
- Is it a pre-existing personality feature that they’re just not interested?
- Is it a combination of cognitive impairment, poor adjustment, fatigue and pain and pre-existing poor coping skills or poor health literacy?
- Is it an indication of a more serious underlying or secondary mental health disorder?
Understanding the aetiology of the low mood or poor motivation will ensure you provide the right kind of support to help manage or treat it. It can be multifactorial and require a multi-pronged approach (e.g. increasing structure, pacing, medication, increasing self-efficacy, encouraging positive coping statements, cognitive behaviour therapy, calibration of goals, self-compassion).
Discuss observations and options with the treating team, including the person’s general practitioner to understand the aetiology and provide appropriate support.