Outcome measures are becoming an essential component in the everyday practice of occupational therapy. Within mental health rehabilitation this can present as a challenge, because quality of life needs to be balanced against quantifiable data from standardised assessments. Determining what is considered to be a positive outcome can demonstrate differences for each client and, as such, intervention needs to be provided in an individualised manner. This opinion piece explores the challenges of using occupational therapy outcome measures within psychiatric rehabilitation, including examples from the author's practice.
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