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Description
Occupational therapy is a field that aims to help a population gain as much independence as possible within all areas of occupation. In many cases and populations, this tends to fall within the physical limitations domain and does not often consider populations where mental health is the main domain affected. In this capstone project, the writer dove into how an occupational therapist can help those with schizophrenia and eating disorders, specifically within the adolescent population. This capstone project began with a literature review in which five significant themes arose: background on mental health, the current treatment of schizophrenia and eating disorders, the adolescent population, occupational therapy in mental health, and technology to disseminate education. From this literature review, the writer designed the most effective route to disseminate education about occupational therapy's role in mental health: a podcast and Instagram. The podcast was titled The Mind's Occupation and consisted of 12 episodes. The Instagram was titled Mentally_OT and gained nearly 1,000 followers with 51 posts. The writer also attended a day program for those with schizophrenia and other mental health disorders in which they were able to gain insight into the daily life and occupations of those affected by these disorders. Through these avenues, the writer was able to disseminate education to multiple countries across the globe and to many occupational therapists and other healthcare providers on occupational therapy's role in mental health and how they can fill the gaps within the healthcare of these populations.
Publication Date
Spring 2023
Publisher
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
Keywords
Adolescent, Occupational therapy, Mental health, Feeding and eating disorders
Medical Subject Headings
Occupational therapy, Mental health, Delivery of health care, Technology
Disciplines
Occupational Therapy | Other Psychology
Recommended Citation
Tourtillott, S., Boykin, L., & Marizita, I. (2023, April 1). An Occupational Therapist Role in Mental Health: Focus in Schizophrenia and Eating Disorders. Poster presented at the Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium, University of St Augustine for Health Sciences. Retrieved from https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2023/42
Comments
Poster presented at the Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium held online at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences on April 4 and April 12, 2023.