This special issue on the effectiveness of occupational therapy services in mental health practice was compiled in an attempt to further build the evidence supporting the profession’s contribution to this practice area. How did we lose our footing in mental health practice when the profession was once considered to be one of the most valued services for people with mental health disorders? In the period between World War I and World War II, occupational therapy services were considered to be an essential component of the treatment arsenal for people with psychiatric disorders (Ellsworth, 1983; Gutman, 1995; Wish-Baratz, 1989). Our profession grew out of the Moral Treatment era in the early 19th century—a movement based on the idea that people with psychiatric disorders should be treated humanely and in safe and sanitary environments (Peloquin, 1989; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999). Providing...
