Schizophrenia is marked by significant cognitive deficits affecting daily life and quality of life. Occupational therapy (OT) employs various strategies to enhance cognitive, social, and daily functioning through structured meaningful occupations. To examine the effectiveness of OT interventions targeting cognitive functions in adults with schizophrenia. A systematic review was conducted, including 15 studies published between 2013 and February 2025, sourced from PubMed, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases. Key interventions included combined individual and group OT, targeted cognitive interventions, aerobic exercise (dance) interventions, integrated therapies, functional skill training, and self-management programs. These approaches significantly improved attention, memory, executive function, and processing speed. OT is a valuable intervention for cognitive enhancement in schizophrenia. Integrating diverse OT interventions into clinical practice is recommended. Future research should explore long-term studies, larger sample sizes, and the cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve the evidence base and practical implementation.

Background/Objectives: Driving performance and competence represent a complex functional domain that may be affected in some individuals with schizophrenia. This scoping review aimed to map existing evidence characterizing driving-related functioning by identifying the cognitive, pharmacological and functional factors that influence driving ability and by synthesizing findings from experimental, neurocognitive and population-based studies. Methods: A structured search of the PubMed, Scopus and ScienceDirect databases was performed in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines to identify studies published between 2015 and 2025 that examined cognitive, pharmacological and functional dimensions of driving in individuals with schizophrenia. Extracted data were narratively and thematically synthesized. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Results: Findings clustered into three domains: cognitive, including attention, executive function, reaction time and visuospatial processing; pharmacological, encompassing drug comparisons, dosage, side effects and treatment stability; and functional, covering license status, driving participation, driving cessation, avoidance behaviors and self-regulation. Conclusions: This review integrates current evidence within a multidimensional and conditional framework, highlighting interactions between cognitive functioning, pharmacological factors, and compensatory self-regulation in individuals with schizophrenia. Understanding these interrelations may inform individualized fitness-to-drive evaluations and contribute to structured, context-sensitive interpretation of driving-related evidence in clinical and regulatory settings.

Background: Preterm birth is a significant early-life stressor associated with increased psychiatric vulnerability and long-term functional impairments in school-aged children. Objective: To compare behavioral–emotional outcomes and functional competence between school-aged preterm and term-born children, examining perinatal, cognitive, and socioeconomic predictors. Methods: 140 children aged 6–10 (70 preterm, 70 age-matched controls) were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Functional competence—defined as participation in daily activities, social interactions, and school performance—was examined alongside behavioral–emotional outcomes. Predictors included gestational age, birth weight, SES, and cognitive ability. Results: Preterm birth was associated with higher SDQ scores in emotional problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems. CBCL results showed lower total functional competence scores, specifically in activities, social participation, and school performance. Longer NICU stay predicted higher internalizing problems and lower social participation. Cognitive ability was linked to lower SDQ externalizing and internalizing scores. SES was not a significant predictor. Conclusions: Preterm birth and prolonged NICU hospitalization are linked to persistent behavioral–emotional and functional vulnerabilities. These findings underscore the need for early, integrated developmental monitoring within a preventive psychiatry framework to identify psychiatric vulnerability and support functional participation.

Adults on maintenance hemodialysis face transportation barriers that disrupt treatment adherence, roles, routines, and quality of life. To review evidence of transportation barriers in adults on hemodialysis and their impact on adherence, quality of life, and community participation. A systematic review was conducted, searching MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and ScienceDirect (2015–2025) databases for English-language studies. Eleven studies ( n = 28–115,982) from eight countries met inclusion criteria. Four interrelated themes emerged from the synthesis: travel distance and time, transportation costs, mode of transport, and service reliability and availability. These barriers collectively constrained treatment adherence, autonomy, and participation in daily occupations, ultimately diminishing autonomy and quality of life. Transportation is a key environmental constraint on occupational performance in hemodialysis. Occupational therapists should assess transport needs, promote mobility supports, and develop interventions to enhance adherence.

Background/Objectives: Cognitive impairment is a core feature of schizophrenia and is closely associated with everyday functioning and participation. This study examined the effects of a 12-week occupation-based group occupational therapy intervention on cognitive functioning in adults with schizophrenia. Methods: In this two-arm randomized controlled trial, 86 adults with schizophrenia were randomly allocated to an intervention group (n = 44) or a treatment-as-usual control group (n = 42). The intervention combined cognitive activation with everyday tasks, problem-solving, and social and creative activities. Co-primary outcomes were the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III (ACE-III) total score, and Clock Drawing Test (CDT). Secondary outcomes included the Mini-Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (M-ACE), ACE-III domains, and Trail Making Test (TMT) Parts A and B completion times and error counts, assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Group × time effects were examined using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: All 86 participants completed the post-intervention assessment and were included in the analysis. Compared with treatment as usual alone, the intervention was associated with significantly greater improvements in MMSE, ACE-III total, M-ACE, TMT Part A completion time, and the ACE-III language and visuospatial domains. Partial η² values ranged from 0.17 to 0.43, with the largest effect observed for the ACE-III total score. Conclusions: Adding occupation-based group occupational therapy to usual care may improve global and domain-specific cognitive test performance in adults with schizophrenia. Further research should determine whether these changes are maintained and translate into everyday occupational performance and participation. This trial was retrospectively registered with ISRCTN (ISRCTN43725423).