President’s Report

Associate Professor Carol McKinstry | OTA President

As I write this article for Connections, much is happening within Australia: a federal government election in May, domestic and international travel opening up, and a new phase of the global pandemic as we learn to live with Covid-19. More people have returned to the workplace, however, a rise in Covid-19 cases has put increased pressure on health services. This continuing change and increased demand for services – including occupational therapy – can be unsettling and impact everyone’s mental health. This edition’s focus on mental health is therefore timely both professionally and personally.

On a mental health note, it is interesting to remember historically that occupational therapy began in Australia – although not initially provided by occupational therapists – at the Broughton Hall Psychiatric Hospital in Sydney and Mont Park Hospital in Melbourne in the early 1930s. Pioneers of occupational therapy in Australia such as Ethel Francis and Joyce Keam also practised in mental health (Cusick and Bye, 2021), and occupational therapists played key roles in the physical and mental rehabilitation of returned World War II servicemen and women.

Talking with prospective and first-year occupational therapy students, I am still amazed there is limited awareness that occupational therapists practise in the mental health field. As psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health nurses are often seen as the only professionals in the field, I now go to great lengths to promote the historic foundation of occupational therapy in Australia and its role in mental health. I once contacted ABC Radio to enlighten journalists about the role of occupational therapists during the Victorian bushfires, and drew an over-the-top response from some in the psychology profession intent on protecting their turf. Surely, given the demand for mental health services and the excellent work that occupational therapists do, this is not contemporary thinking.

Occupational therapists have a unique approach and role that enhances mental health teams. In 2020, I represented OTA at the Royal Commission into the Victorian Mental Health Services, particularly focusing on the workforce. Fortunately, those on the panel fully understood and valued the role of occupational therapists, and were very interested in learning how to build and support the occupational therapy workforce. PhD candidate and highly experienced occupational therapist Siann Bowman also presented her research findings, recommending the need for occupational therapists to be situated in schools to support secondary school students and teachers and provide early intervention. Her work is frequently cited in the royal commission’s report. In recognition of the pandemic’s major impact on everyone’s mental health, OTA has developed a paper, Thinking Ahead: The Future of Occupational Therapy and Mental Health. This paper seeks to promote the role of occupational therapists and provide solutions to many current challenges. I thank the dedicated reference group that supported those developing the paper, and commend the work of all involved. I would encourage everyone, whether you practise in mental health or not, to read the paper to gain an understanding of what OTA is promoting.

OTA has also been active in promoting the important work of occupational therapists in mental health through its Federal Election Playbook launched in April. Politicians from various parties were pressed for commitments, such as increasing access to mental health services in rural areas and developing an allied health workforce strategy that included occupational therapists.

With the increased incidence of mental illness in Australia, occupational therapists in any area of practice help improve the mental health of all those they work with.

References can be viewed by scanning the QR code