How Having an Occupational Therapist on Your Team Can Improve Mental Health Outcomes
Doing, being, becoming, and belonging are what occupational therapists (OTs) focus on.
Occupational therapists support individuals that are working through their mental health conditions. We can work alongside others in the community to support the use of strategies, coping skills, habits, and routines right in the natural environment where they are doing that specific task. For example, if someone is having a hard time remembering the steps to cooking due to schizophrenia, an OT might recommend using a checklist to keep right by the stove, keeping meals simple, or having an object within visual sight as a reminder.
OTs increase success with daily occupations and activities that improve participation and return to work.
Getting back and engaging in daily routines is essential for mental health. This systematic review looked at how occupational therapists help clients make the transition back into the workforce after struggling with depression.
It’s how our profession started.
OTs started to support the mental hygiene movement which in the modern day is mental health. Early OTs understood that being engaged in activities supported the mind and allowed for healing. If you have ever enjoyed the feeling of digging and planting flowers in the garden, you can appreciate the simple yet powerful impact of engaging with your hands in daily activities to support relaxation.
Mental health is directly related to physical health and improving early intervention can reduce healthcare costs.
A study came out that connected those that were having physical health problems being caused by early adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). In other words, the more ACE’s you have, the more likely you are to develop physical health ailments. This is a great TedTalk describing the groundbreaking article. The importance of addressing mental health early cannot be understated. Without intervening to support our society’s mental health, we will create more healthcare costs but more importantly, people will struggle with needing care for both their physical and mental health.
2020-2021 was traumatic and a lot of people are struggling with various mental health conditions.
The need for professionals to address mental health concerns was already in high demand before the Covid-19 pandemic. Now more than ever we need to be creative and remember the importance of engaging in activities that support our mental health. In a year where our routines were disrupted, some individuals may need additional support to get back into those routines post-pandemic and to thrive in their new daily activities (i.e. working from home, navigating telehealth, etc.) See an example of what OT in mental health in action looks like.
OTs can support children’s emotional wellbeing.
Occupational therapists work with children from birth up until graduation. We often see kids that are struggling due to having challenges with development which causes other social-emotional difficulties. We are trained and effective at supporting kids to be able to process those emotions at a basic neurological level and thrive in their environment. It was found in this systematic review that specific life skills, social skills, leisure, and recreational activities using occupation-based interventions and activities support children’s mental health.
Resources and References
Arbesman, M., Bazyk, S., & Nochajski, S. M. (2013). Systematic review of occupational therapy and mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention for children and youth. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67(6), e120-e130.
Bertelsen, M., Jeppesen, P., Petersen, L., Thorup, A., Øhlenschlæger, J., le Quach, P., ... & Nordentoft, M. (2008). Five-year follow-up of a randomized multicenter trial of intensive early intervention vs standard treatment for patients with a first episode of psychotic illness: the OPUS trial. Archives of general psychiatry, 65(7), 762-771.
Hitch, D., Pépin, G., & Stagnitti, K. (2014). In the footsteps of Wilcock, part one: The evolution of doing, being, becoming, and belonging. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 28(3), 231-246.
Ikiugu, M. N., Nissen, R. M., Bellar, C., Maassen, A., & Van Peursem, K. (2017). Clinical effectiveness of occupational therapy in mental health: A meta-analysis. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71(5), 7105100020p1-7105100020p10.
Community-Mental Health Fact Sheet
Infographic Describing Considerations for Transitions from Children to Adult Mental Health Services