Supporting Care Partners of Individuals Impacted by Mental Illness Through an Occupational Therapy Lens

Care partners of individuals with mental illness experience impacts on daily life from stress, stigma, changes in role and routines, and occupational imbalance. Addressing these needs falls within the scope of occupational therapy (OT); however, it has not been widely implemented with care partners. The purpose of this research study was to develop and implement a support program for care partners of individuals with mental illness through an OT perspective. The program was designed using literature supported interventions, collaboration with mental health practitioners and health care providers, and participant reported needs to support and increase occupational balance for care partner participants. The six-week program was implemented one time per week for one-hour sessions. Results of the program were consistent with current literature. The program can be further expanded and adapted to fit the needs of care partners of varying disabilities in an individualized or group setting. Keywords: Care partner, occupational balance, mental illness, support