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. 2022 Dec;89(4):376-394.
doi: 10.1177/00084174221102732. Epub 2022 Jul 26.

Psychotherapy Within Occupational Therapy Literature: A Scoping Review

Psychotherapy Within Occupational Therapy Literature: A Scoping Review

Carrie Anne Marshall et al. Can J Occup Ther. 2022 Dec.

Abstract

Background. Recent changes in the Canadian regulatory landscape have prompted reflections on the role and scope of occupational therapy in the provision of psychotherapy. Purpose. To document how psychotherapy has been explored in occupational therapy literature. Method. We conducted a scoping review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines by searching eight databases (e.g., Medline, AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Sociological Abstracts, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses). Articles included at the full-text stage were subjected to a narrative synthesis. Findings. A total of 207 articles met the criteria for inclusion, spanning 93 years. 47.3% of these articles represented non-empirical literature, with only 14% representing effectiveness studies, suggesting that this body of literature remains in an early stage of development. Implications. Occupational therapists have been writing about and practicing psychotherapy for nearly a century, yet there remains an important opportunity to develop and evaluate occupation-based psychotherapy approaches. Effectiveness studies are needed.

Description. Des changements récents dans le paysage réglementaire canadien ont donné lieu à des réflexions sur le rôle et la portée de l'ergothérapie dans la prestation de services de psychothérapie. But. Documenter la manière dont la psychothérapie a été explorée dans la littérature sur l'ergothérapie. Méthodologie. Nous avons effectué une étude de portée en suivant les lignes directrices PRISMA-ScR et en interrogeant huit bases de données (Medline, AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Sociological Abstracts et Proquest Dissertations & Theses). Le texte intégral des articles retenus a fait l'objet d'une synthèse narrative. Résultats. 207 articles couvrant une période de 93 ans répondaient aux critères d'inclusion. 47,3 % de ces articles étaient non empiriques, et seulement 14 % étaient des études d'efficacité, ce qui suggère que ce corpus reste à un stade précoce de développement. Conséquences. Les ergothérapeutes écrivent sur la psychothérapie et la pratiquent depuis près d'un siècle. Pourtant, il reste des occasions importantes de développer et d'évaluer des approches de psychothérapie basées sur l'occupation. Des études d'efficacité sont nécessaires

Keywords: Counselling; Group therapy; Humanism; Mental health; Psychodynamic; humanisme; psychodynamique; santé mentale; thérapie de groupe.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Included studies (n = 207).

References

    1. Ainscough K. (1998). The therapeutic value of activity in child psychiatry. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(5), 223–226. 10.1177/030802269806100512 - DOI
    1. Alberta College of Occupational Therapists (ACOT). (2019). OTs Performing Psychotherapy. ACOT. Retrieved from July 19, 2021 https://acot.ca/enews/ots-performing-psychotherapy/
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