Interprofessional perspectives on schizophrenia: a comparative study of ICF core set assessments by occupational therapy and mental health social work students

Effective community support for individuals with schizophrenia requires robust interprofessional collaboration between occupational therapy and mental health social work services. Differences in professional training may lead to variable assessments of patients' living conditions, influencing the effectiveness of collaborative care. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore differences in assessments between 109 occupational therapy students (OTS) and 72 mental health social work students (MHSWS). The participants assessed video-based scenarios depicting the living conditions of individuals with schizophrenia. Network analysis compared the assessment structures and examined how their professional training influenced evaluations. Logistic regression identified significant discriminative factors, including b152 (emotional function), b180 (experience of self and time), d155 (acquiring skills), d570 (looking after one's health), d845 (acquiring, maintaining, and terminating a job), and e460 (societal attitude), with an accuracy of 84.3%. OTS emphasized d240 (handling stress and other psychological demands) and b140 (attention functions), whereas MHSWS focused on d230 (carrying out daily routines) and d570, highlighting distinct professional perspectives. This study underscores recognizing and integrating different professional perspectives in interprofessional collaboration. Educational programs should leverage the unique strengths of each discipline to enhance collaborative care for individuals with schizophrenia.