An occupational perspective of youth positive mental health: A critical review

Abstract

Introduction The experience of youth positive mental health has attracted limited research interest, despite healthcare shifting to a preventative approach, promoting health and wellbeing rather than focusing on illness. The aim of this critical review was to develop an understanding of youth positive mental health from an occupational perspective. Method Eight databases were searched and findings from each of the 11 relevant studies were critically reviewed and analysed using the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement (CMOP-E). The three core elements of the CMOP-E were used as themes: personal factors, environment and occupation. Findings Each of the core components of the CMOP-E were identified as influencing youth positive mental health. The importance of supportive social environments and social occupations were particularly prevalent. Deeper understandings of the influence spirituality and institutional environments have on positive mental health for youth are required. Conclusion Youth positive mental health is a complex concept and requires the consideration of personal, environmental and occupational factors. Gaps identified included limited evidence of how young people engaged in mental health services perceive positive mental health. To gain a deeper understanding of positive youth mental health, future research needs to be conducted to obtain the perspective of young people.

Positive Psychology for Mental Wellbeing of UK Therapeutic Students: Relationships with Engagement, Motivation, Resilience and Self-Compassion

“…Weekly mindfulness sessions over a month improved occupational therapy students' self-awareness and stress management skills (Stew 2011). These types of training may benefit from considering the holistic nature of positive psychology, reflecting several key areas of student lives (Hall et al 2015), instead of solely focusing on their academic life. Unsurprisingly, positive psychological approaches were recommended for international therapists to learn as an intervention, for its applicability to diverse client issues (Lenz et al 2018).…”

Competence and Satisfaction in Occupational Performance Among a Sample of University Students: An Exploratory Study

“…The university environment can impact choice of and participation in occupation, and context can influence well-being by promoting or limiting occupational choice (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2015; Hall, McKinstry, & Hyett, 2015; Salehi, Harris, Sebar, & Coyne, 2017). The university environment allows students to engage in more social activities and leisure interests than non-university students, and the advantage of this participation helps students well beyond the university years (Maunder, Cunliffe, Galvin, Mjali, & Rogers, 2013).…”

Youth Positive Mental Health Concepts and Definitions: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Synthesis

“…It also relates to having a drive for a manageable and meaningful life [ 34 ], having life goals and strategies to achieve them [ 18 ], being committed to personal values [ 25 ] and applying personal strengths to “belong to and serve” something bigger than oneself [ 62 , 67 ]. Life’s meaning is often derived from feelings of self-worth, self-efficacy, accomplishments, independence, and positive emotions [ 68 ] or through meaningful goals [ 69 ], religious beliefs, moral values, and contributing to the community [ 70 ]. For students, meaning is associated with the purpose and value attributed to achieving academic goals [ 71 ] and appraising academic tasks as important and meaningful [ 72 ].…”

“…In academic settings, it relates to behavioral and emotional engagement [ 21 , 76 ] and commitment to academic tasks [ 72 ]. Engagement is also envisioned as a group-level behavioral or cognitive commitment to social groups [ 77 ] and religious beliefs and practices [ 65 ]; often associated with being engaged in caring for others and feeling fulfilled through giving back to the community [ 69 ].…”

“…Combined together, they cover the subjective feeling of interest and deep understanding of life meaning [ 81 ] and the “feelings, thoughts, and experiences that arise from a search for the sacred or transcendent” [ 20 ]. Faith is believed to enable the internalization, expression, and having open dialogues about life experiences and meaning through religion [ 23 , 83 , 120 ], generating a culturally congruent meaning of self, others, and the society [ 69 ] and thereby nurturing a sense of autonomy, competence, life satisfaction, and relatedness [ 23 , 79 ]. (iii) Positivity, which relates to being open to new experiences [ 75 ], adopting a favorable, hopeful, and confident view about the future, and discounting adverse events as being temporary [ 53 ].…”