Reablement in mental health: A scoping review

BackgroundMental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, psychosis, and schizophrenia, significantly impact global well-being. Reablement— a goal-oriented, time-limited, multidisciplinary intervention—supports independence and reduces reliance on long-term care services. However, its role in functional (non-organic) mental illness is unclear, and evidence remains limited. Aim: This scoping review aimed to map existing research on reablement for people with functional mental illness. The objectives were to identify diagnoses involved, evaluate mental health outcomes, explore user experiences, and highlight knowledge gaps for practice and policy. MethodThe review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological framework. Searches were conducted in Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, Ovid Emcare, PubMed, and Cochrane, supplemented by non-indexed sources. Studies were eligible if they involved community-dwelling adults with functional mental illness or reported mental health outcomes of reablement. The selection process for eligible studies followed the Prisma 2020 flowchart procedure. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data. Findings were reported using descriptive synthesis, and qualitative data were analysed thematically. ResultsSeven studies met the inclusion criteria: five quantitative, one qualitative, and one mixed-methods. Diagnoses identified included psychosis, depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Reported outcomes suggested potential benefits in independence, quality of life, hope, empowerment, and family relationships, though effects were inconsistent. Thematic findings indicated that empowerment, flexibility in delivery, and social or family support positively influenced experiences. Evidence was heterogeneous, and few studies focused specifically on mental health populations, limiting generalisability. ConclusionsReablement appears to hold promise as a recovery-oriented, community-based intervention for people with functional mental illness. However, current evidence is sparse and lacks diagnostic specificity. Future research Robust, controlled studies are needed to determine effectiveness, refine delivery models, and guide clinical and policy decisions.