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Newbie in OT
I am a second-year Occupational Therapy student going to be soon post in a psychiatry department where there is currently no Occupational Therapist in mental health. Many professionals here are not fully aware of the OT role in this setting, and I have been encouraged to learn from any ot books , and come back for discussion with medical other professionals like doctors psy, psychologist .
As a student, I genuinely want to learn where to begin and what core basics I should focus on for meaningful clinical exposure in mental health.
First, I would like clarity on the terminology:
Is it called Occupational Therapy in Mental Health or Occupational Therapy in Psychiatry?
Secondly, I want to understand our role as OTs in this setting—what exactly we assess, plan, and intervene in.
I also want to learn the basic classification of mental health conditions commonly seen in psychiatry—such as mood…
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Thoughtful questions! I work in mental health and in response to your first question I use this term. I went straight into this area and learnt a lot about mood disorders etc, and while this is encouraged I would really encourage you to stay true to the OT theory. Being holistic is what makes us unique, treating each person regardless of their diagnosis, which often overlap. I would say that I use more practical and behavioural/ movement based approaches for those who are more anxious but find traditional talking therapies difficult. I use a lot of grading and adapting of tasks with visual aids for those on the spectrum. I use a lot of activity scheduling for those who need help prioritising, planning and organising their day (often associated with bipolar or mood disorder).