Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations.
At-risk adolescents tend to be of low socioeconomic status or have been in juvenile detention, which affects their mental health, leading to a decrease in occupational participation and performance. This systematic review examines the participation of at-risk adolescents in community-based OT mental health services and its positive impact on occupational engagement. Research within this scope of practice can yield more effective, evidence-based, and client-centered interventions.
Primary Author and Speaker: Levana Tabanpour
Contributing Authors: Angeli Gutierrez, Alyssa Mercado, and Rachel Munyon
PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review is to examine whether the participation of at-risk adolescents in community-based occupational therapy mental health services would have a positive impact on their occupational engagement. An underserved population, this review can be a tool to bridge the existing gap between occupational therapy and at-risk youth.
DESIGN: The study design consists of a systematic review which analyzes articles from the following databases: CINAHL, Pubmed, AJOT, OT Seeker, and SocINDEX. The inclusion criteria for this systematic review is comprised of: scientific literature in English, intervention approaches within the scope of practice of occupational therapy for at-risk adolescents, and publication between 2009 and 2019.
METHOD: The articles within this database utilize methods such as interviews, observations, and quantitative experiments for data collection. The authors of this systematic review screened and appraised studies following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol.
RESULTS: The results of this systematic review depict three common themes within each of the articles: decreased anxiety, positive behavior, and occupational performance. Each study produced results demonstrating positive outcomes for mental health and occupational participation, as well as increased engagement in meaningful activities upon participating in community-based mental health services.
CONCLUSION: The current evidence depicts the benefits of community-based interventions that decrease anxiety for at-risk youth, consequently leading to an increase in positive behavior and occupational performance. Client-centered and occupational therapy-based interventions are effective with at-risk youth due to promoting the acquisition of life skills through meaningful pursuits and collaborative relationships. The findings from this study can further expand the field of occupational therapy by allowing practitioners to seek motivating and preventative intervention approaches for this population.
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