Therapeutic occupations for symptoms of adults with schizophrenia: A scoping review

Introduction: Schizophrenia is a mental illness that significantly impacts the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Research on the efficacy of occupation on symptoms is limited. This scoping review aimed to map the available evidence on the use of occupations to reduce the symptoms of adults with schizophrenia. Method: Arksey and O’Malley’s Framework was used to conduct the scoping review, and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis – Extensions for Scoping Reviews were used to report the data. Articles published between August 2013-2022 on the Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus were searched, and relevant articles were charted. Results: A total of 85 studies were included, of which 87% (n=74) showed reduced symptom severity when using occupations. The occupations most frequently used were Health Management (n=40), leisure (n=10), work (n=7), and combined occupations (n=14). Conclusion: Using occupations in interventions is effective in reducing schizophrenia symptoms in adults.