Routledge Cara and MacRae’s Psychosocial Occupational Therapy: An Evolving Practice

This new edition of Cara and MacRae’s Psychosocial Occupational Therapy provides a comprehensive and contemporary examination of psychosocial occupational therapy, emphasizing its relevance across practice settings, populations, and the lifespan. Grounded in occupation-based theory and enriched with case illustrations throughout, the book reflects the evolving nature of mental health practice and the profession’s commitment to justice, recovery, and person-centered care. Organized into four parts, it offers both conceptual foundations and practical application: Part I establishes the philosophical and theoretical grounding of psychosocial occupational therapy, addressing foundational questions about health care worldviews, occupation-based values and approaches, and the essential role of social and occupational justice in practice. Part II examines the range of environments in which psychosocial occupational therapy occurs, including psychiatric institutions, hospitals, and community-based services. Part III centers the individual and explores the impact of environments, cultural identity and context, as well as broader societal forces on identity and mental health. Part IV addresses psychosocial occupational therapy from infancy through older adulthood, emphasizing developmental processes, transitions, identity formation, adaptation, and resilience. With contributions from both returning and new authors, the new edition deepens its attention to justice, identity, leadership, and evolving service models and will be essential reading for occupational therapy students, educators, and practitioners seeking a holistic, occupation-centered understanding of psychosocial practice.