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Mental Health

To support the Centennial Vision, AOTA has identified Mental Health as a key practice area in the 21st century.

The World Health Organization has identified mental illness as a growing cause of disability worldwide and predicts that in the future, mental illness—specifically depression—will be the top cause of disability.

In response to this trend, increasing emphasis will be placed on mental health treatment and prevention services for children, youth, the aging, and those with severe and persistent mental illness.

We hope the resources below will help you in your practice. If you have additional questions, try posting them on OTConnections, a community for occupational therapy practitioners just like you. If you are an AOTA member, you are already signed up with OTConnections! Just use your member login and password for the AOTA Web site to access OTConnections.

Featured: A compilation of AOTA resources: Focus On: Mental Health booklet.


Evidence-Based Practice

Health and wellness evidence

In this section find evidence-based practice info and the latest research to guide your practice.

AOTA Official Documents

Official Documents

Informative documents on the role and scope of occupational therapy services. Get AOTA's Official Documents here. 

Tips for Living

Tips for living

Brief Tip Sheets to help people cope with a variety of health conditions and explain how occupational therapy can help. Find our tips sheets here.

Fact Sheets - Role of OT

AOTA Fact Sheets

Designed for OT practitioners and other professionals to explain the role and scope of occupational therapy. Find fact sheets here.

Other Resources

Get more info.

Find apps for Mental Health here. 

Special Interest Sections

Members: Browse SIS Quarterly Newsletters

Read the Special Interest Section Quarterly Newsletters related to Mental Health: Administration & Management, Developmental Disabilities, Gerontology, Mental Health, Technology, and Work & Industry.