Evidence for your Practice: Occupational Therapy Interventions in Mental Health

Photo credit: University of Puget Sound

Article:  Bonnie Kirsh, Lori Martin, Jenny Hultqvist & Mona Eklund. (2019). Occupational Therapy Interventions in Mental Health: A Literature Review in Search of Evidence, Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 35:2, 109-156. Retrieved from  https://tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0164212X.2019.1588832?journalCode=womh20

Study Aim: To review and synthesize the existing evidence on OT mental health interventions and their documented outcomes.

Population: Adults with a mental illness.

Key Findings: Fifty original articles with varied methodology were reviewed. The following seven intervention themes emerged:

• OT interventions in the area of employment or education (13 studies)
• Supported Employment programs are well documented in the literature and are shown to be effective.
• Supported Education programs have promising results.
• OT interventions involving psychoeducation (2 studies)
• Limited evidence exists to support interventions that incorporate psychoeducational methods.
• OT interventions using creative occupations and activity (16 studies)
• Creative occupations and activity, sometimes delivered in groups, show mixed results.
• These interventions appear beneficial, especially when used with usual treatment and medication.
• OT interventions addressing time use or occupational balance (3 studies)
• Limited yet promising evidence supports time-use interventions.
• OT interventions in the area of skills development, lifestyle modifications, and occupational engagement (10 studies)
• OT interventions had positive effects on the various outcomes studied.
• Standard OT interventions were often just as effective as the OT treatments under study, as some studies compared against controls receiving standard OT.
• OT interventions using group or family approaches (4 studies)
• There is limited evidence to support this area.
• OT was often delivered alongside other treatments.
• OT interventions using animals or animal-assisted approaches (2 studies)
• Very limited evidence exists for animal-assisted therapy, showing possible therapeutic and beneficial effects.

Bottom Line for OT:

• The authors conclude the quality of evidence is considered low, and conclusions are tentative.
• Firm evidence for many of the interventions used in mental health by OTs is yet to be established.
• Supported Employment programs do appear evidence-based, and there is growing evidence to support skills and habits development, and time use interventions.

Post by Jenna Zedel, fieldwork student with CAOT-BC

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