Current Trends in Occupational Therapy for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Scoping Review

Adolescent and young adult cancer survivors experience barriers to occupational participation following cancer treatment. This article aims to identify the scope of occupational therapy evidence for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. A scoping review of articles cited in CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE (EBSCO), Academic Search Complete, APA PsycINFO, and PubMed was performed. The initial search yielded 391 articles, with eight publications included in the final review. Results revealed a significant lack of age-specific occupational therapy-based resources for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. Evidence supports the use of self-management, physical activity, therapeutic exercise, activities of daily living training and adaptation, and app-based coaching to improve client outcomes. Further research is required to determine the effectiveness of occupational therapy services, as well as to establish evidence-based guidelines for practice.