Service User Experiences of Occupational Therapy in Acute Mental Health Settings: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis

Abstract

The inclusion of service user perspectives in the development of acute mental health services is recommended in policy. Therefore exploration of their experiences in this setting is merited. This study synthesized qualitative research on service user experiences of occupational therapy in the acute mental health setting using thematic synthesis. The synthesis shows the unique role of occupational therapists in the setting. Service users identified the impact of the profession through environmental transformation, therapeutic relationships, and occupation-focused interventions. Issues of accessibility and availability of interventions were identified. Further research on this topic in a wider range of cultural contexts is recommended.