By Susan Noyes, PhD, OTR/L, and Elizabeth Griffin Lannigan, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
In the United States in 2016, it is estimated that 1 in 6 adults (44.7 million) experienced mental illness of any kind—mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders as defined by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). A subset (4.2% of adults, or 10.4 million people aged 18 or older) lived with serious mental illness (SMI). People living with SMI experience underemployment and unemployment at higher rates than people without mental illness. A 2016 report estimated that people living with SMI accounted for 25% of adults in homeless shelters, and estimates indicate that more than 350,000 individuals living with SMI are imprisoned.
This Practice Guideline provides an overview of the occupational therapy process for individuals living with SMI. It is based on a systematic review process addressing five focused questions examining the evidence for occupational therapy interventions to promote ADLs and IADLs, rest and sleep, leisure, and social participation; support employment and education; promote health and wellness; provide early intervention to reduce effects of SMI; and reduce internalized stigma. The guideline uses key concepts from the 3rd edition of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process and is essential for clinical decision making in occupational therapy practice with this population.
978-1-56900-594-1, 235 pages, 2019