Daily Occupations of Persons with Mental Illness: Themes from Japan and America

Persons with mental illness often experience disruption in daily occupations, routines, and habits. This article presents results of two separate studies designed to explore time use and occupations of persons with mental illness living in Japan and America. Common themes emerged including the importance of engagement in normalizing occupations, the role of productive activities in contributing to life satisfaction, the need for structure amidst opportunities for personal occupational choice, and the relationship between a lack of daily routine and personal dissatisfaction. The literature is reviewed, and the studies are summarized, compared, and discussed in relation to implications for occupational therapy. (C) 2006 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.