Abstract
Anxiety and stress-related disorders are highly prevalent and impede participation in life activities. Occupational therapists work extensively with people diagnosed with these disorders but the effectiveness of their interventions is unclear. A systematic search strategy identified 19 papers describing 13 studies. Studies varied in methodology, intervention type, and theory base. The results show the potential for lifestyle approaches, occupational science-based programs, and skill-building to improve mental health. The variety of interventions and methodologies of many studies means that the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions for this population is not yet determined. High-quality research is required to replicate interventions with emerging potential for effectiveness.
Declaration
An early version of these results was presented as an academic poster presentation at the International Society for Affective Disorders conference in London in 2017 and a published abstract is available (Fox, Erlandsson, & Shiel, Citation2017). This written article presents the most up-to-date version of this systematic review.