Promoting occupational balance in adults with and without mental illnesses: A systematic literature review

Introduction: Occupational balance is an important concept for occupational therapy and science due to its strong association with health and well-being. A comprehensive examination of existing interventions is needed to enhance the occupational balance of persons with and without mental illnesses as well as to support the development of new occupational balance interventions, specifically targeting vulnerable and underserved population groups. This systematic literature review, hence, aims to assess the effectiveness of published time-use and occupational balance interventions on adults with and without mental illnesses.
Methods: The systematic search of peer-reviewed articles, published between January 1990 and 2023, is performed in 7 academic databases and follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews Meta-Analyses guidelines. For risk bias assessment, the standardised National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) quality assessment tools are used. Two reviewers will independently assess each study for inclusion while disagreements will be resolved by a third reviewer. A narrative synthesis of all evidence will be conducted, highlighting type of outcome and type of intervention. If feasible, a meta-analysis will be performed.
Results: A small and heterogeneous sample is expected, presenting diverse evidence-based occupational balance programs from all over the world.
Implications for Occupational Science: This systematic literature review provides much-needed evidence on interventions promoting occupational balance. It forms the basis for the design of concrete research and policy directives on how to maintain and enhance the health and well-being of vulnerable population groups through targeted occupational balance interventions.