Terapia ocupacional em saúde mental: entre o campo e o núcleo profissional

Introduction: Recognizing the complexity of various aspects involved in the field of mental health, it is essential that professional competencies be combined in care provision. However, the debate on the boundaries and limits of occupational therapy has proven necessary for the technical-scientific development of the profession. Objective: To outline occupational therapy actions that constitute common clinical practice within the field of mental health and those that define its professional core. Method: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist was used as the scoping review guide. Theoretical studies published in Portuguese from 2012 to May 2023 were included. The literature search was conducted in the Redalyc, Google Scholar and Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD) databases, resulting in the analysis of seven studies. Result: The analysis of the studies showed that the specific core of occupational therapy is seldom described as the field of mental health and its premises summon occupational therapists to conceive and practice care mediated through hybrid technologies integrated with other knowledge areas. According to the studies presented, when referring to the professional core, occupational therapists base their actions on human activity, human doing, occupation, and everyday life. Conclusion: There is a need to expand the debate on the professional core of occupational therapy in the field of mental health, not to discipline practices, but rather to preserve the profession’s core work.