Adelle Adele, Bedford Kris, McMahon Sabrina, Dun Carolyn, Starbuck Rachael, Doroud Nastaran
Department of Allied Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Northern Area Mental Health Service, Mental Health Division, Northern Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Aust Occup Ther J. 2025 Jun;72(3):e70032. doi: 10.1111/1440-1630.70032.
Occupational therapists play an important role in offering interventions in acute mental health inpatient settings through use of individualised, activity-based, sensory, and group approaches. They may face challenges, however, to implement evidence-based interventions due to high caseload, consumers' short duration of stay, and general limited understanding of the value of occupational therapy interventions. This scoping review aimed to address this gap by answering the following question: 'What evidence is available for occupational therapy interventions within acute mental health inpatient settings?'
This review used Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) scoping review framework. The review question was identified by occupational therapists from two leading mental health settings in Melbourne, Victoria. Three electronic databases, citation searches, and hand searching were used to locate studies that were independently screened by authors. Studies within adult acute inpatient mental health units that examined interventions designed or delivered by occupational therapists were selected. These studies were data extracted, and findings were thematically synthesised.
There was no consumer and community involvement.
Twenty-one studies relevant to the review question were identified. The findings from these studies were synthesised into five themes: (a) consumers' experiences of occupational therapy interventions; (b) enabling activity engagement and choice; (c) restoring function; (d) reduced need for restrictive practices; and (e) sensory modulation. These themes are discussed in relation to environmental and occupational factors, occupational therapy approaches, and contributions to consumers' recovery.
The findings from this review highlighted the pivotal role of occupational therapists in acute inpatient mental health settings in addressing occupational deprivation and functional decline; reducing the need for restrictive practices; enabling self-management strategies to reduce distress; and fostering personal recovery. Understanding of and promoting the unique value of occupational therapy interventions is essential to ensure effective multidisciplinary care within acute mental health settings. Future research is recommended to further explore and investigate effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions, barriers to evidence-based practices, and consumers' experiences.
职业治疗师在急性精神科住院环境中通过采用个性化、基于活动、感官和团体方法提供干预措施方面发挥着重要作用。然而，由于工作量大、患者住院时间短以及对职业治疗干预价值的普遍理解有限，他们在实施循证干预措施时可能会面临挑战。本范围综述旨在通过回答以下问题来填补这一空白：“急性精神科住院环境中职业治疗干预措施有哪些可用证据？”
本综述采用了阿克西和奥马利（2005年）的范围综述框架。综述问题由来自维多利亚州墨尔本两个主要精神卫生机构的职业治疗师确定。使用三个电子数据库、引文检索和手工检索来查找由作者独立筛选的研究。选择了在成人急性精神科住院单元中研究职业治疗师设计或提供的干预措施的研究。对这些研究进行了数据提取，并对研究结果进行了主题综合分析。
没有消费者和社区参与。
确定了21项与综述问题相关的研究。这些研究的结果综合为五个主题：（a）消费者对职业治疗干预措施的体验；（b）促进活动参与和选择；（c）恢复功能；（d）减少对限制措施的需求；（e）感官调节。针对这些主题，结合环境和职业因素、职业治疗方法以及对消费者康复的贡献进行了讨论。
本综述的结果强调了职业治疗师在急性精神科住院环境中在解决职业剥夺和功能衰退、减少对限制措施的需求、促进自我管理策略以减轻痛苦以及促进个人康复方面的关键作用。理解和推广职业治疗干预措施的独特价值对于确保急性精神科住院环境中的有效多学科护理至关重要。建议未来的研究进一步探索和调查职业治疗干预措施的有效性、循证实践的障碍以及消费者的体验。
