**Author details**

interventions occupational therapists will have [97]. Community participation, social inclusion, and occupational engagement are highly important occupational therapy interventions for reduc-

Occupational therapists visit the home where the client lives and make the home assessments. OT can provide OCD management and can make appropriate house arrangements for the client. The family and/or caregiver are informed. For school-aged OCD clients, OTs can visit the school, be informed by interviewing their peers and their teachers and if necessary, make appropriate environmental adjustments to the client. Informing adults and making workplace visits and environmental adaptations for clients with OCD have an important place in

Anti-stigma or reducing stigmatization interventions focused on the people with OCD and their families, health professionals, the general public, pupils and teachers, and health professionals. Education about OCD and misbeliefs is the primary aim of most campaigns, followed by the empowerment of people OCD and the prevention of impact of stigmatization [99, 100]. Occupational therapists have an advocacy role to promote social awareness and support the social integration of clients [72]. For OCD, occupational therapists can make these campaigns at a social level, and they can argue with politicians for legal regulations. It is among the responsibilities of occupational therapists to defend the rights of clients and to ensure the

The media, however, play an important role in determining the attitudes of individuals toward perceptions and stigma and have a growing voice [101]. TV programs and publications have been reported to have positive effects on stigma [102]. A study on media reported that the Monk character, an individual with OCD, reduced stigma against OCD [60]. In the technology world, there are many people who reach through social media and individuals can be encouraged to tell their stories by digital storytelling methods. Thus, stigmatization

It has been noted that individuals with OCD have avoided treatment seeking because of the stigma they have seen most from their families. More stigma is reported to be applied especially in socio-demographic lower income families [104]. Also, family members living with the patient (such as parents, partners, children and siblings) are involved in daily rituals and undergoing social stigmatization. For this reason, families may encounter inequalities in occupational role performing. It is possible for OCD individuals to have access to treatment and to support their social integration and to provide social inclusion for the OCD individual's family members. The biggest profit from the support groups could have individuals with high levels of self-stigmatization and poor social networks. Such groups might be focused on stigmatization (and thus indirectly on building self-esteem). The biggest profits from the support groups were the high levels of self-stigmatization and poor social networks. Educational activities are of great importance as such groups might be focused on stigmatization (and thus indirectly on building self-esteem), adaptive coping strategies to deal with daily hassles and interpersonal conflicts, and adopting supportive behaviors. These trainings can be made for health professionals for professional stigma, for children and adolescents with OCD [105], or

ing stigma and discrimination [98].

104 Anxiety Disorders - From Childhood to Adulthood

interventions that can reduce stigmatization.

participation of clients with OCD in this way.

can be decreased by increasing social awareness [103].

for general public [100].

Gokcen Akyurek\*, Kubra Sahadet Sezer, Leyla Kaya and Kezban Temucin

\*Address all correspondence to: gkcnakyrk@gmail.com

Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Science, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
