scholarly journals Learning from adversity: Occupational therapy staff experiences of coping during Covid-19

2022 ◽  
pp. 030802262110644
Author(s):  
Laura Ingham ◽  
Esther Jackson ◽  
Catherine Purcell

Introduction The Occupational Therapy profession is adaptable and flexible (Thorner (1991) and these characteristics have the potential to act as protective factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the mechanisms that support coping during adversity can help promote future wellbeing. The aim of this study was to explore how Occupational Therapy staff felt and coped during the first peak of the pandemic. Method A questionnaire was developed to explore the experiences of Occupational Therapy staff during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The questions explored feelings, mechanisms of support and challenges to both practice and wellbeing. A total of 75 staff responded across one NHS Health Board and reflections were analysed using inductive content analysis. Findings Staff reflected on how their ability to adapt and remain flexible were protective factors. This combined with supportive family members, friends and colleagues led respondents to reflect on how well they coped. Barriers to coping included organisational challenges, personal challenges and professional challenges. Conclusion The importance of consistent communication, the need for staff to remain connected to their profession and the importance of engaging in meaningful occupations were highlighted as key to maintaining wellbeing during adversity.

Dementia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 2206-2219
Author(s):  
Mahin Kiwi

This article discusses Iranian family members’ attitudes towards the culturally profiled nursing home, their relationships with the staff, the obstacles, their hopes and their fears. This study is based on qualitative research using 29 semi-structured interviews with family members who had previously been informal caregivers, as well as using fieldwork, all in the same nursing home. The interviews were analysed by the three steps of content analysis. The results show the identification of three main categories with nine main subcategories. The categories and subcategories in the table clarify and explain how the interviewees tended to compare the situation in Iran with that in Sweden, how they perceived the situation in Sweden and finally how they also saw the culturally profiled nursing home.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deniz Tonga

<p>No matter what century we live in, even though the tools we use change from age to age, man is not a creature who can be considered or understood without the concept of values. Although we have different religions, languages, races and cultures, the personality of man is always constructed through values. Values are factors that directly influences human life and society in a positive or negative way. This study suggests that values education aimed at teaching individuals certain values is not sufficiently practiced by families in Turkey. In order to address the problem, this study aimed to increase the awareness of family members regarding values and help them turn values into behavior in everyday life. To this end, a 24-month “values education program” involving a set of activities was carried out. Every month, a specific value was chosen taking into account the needs of family members and “value booklets” were prepared using four sub-dimensions of the chosen value. 10 families participated in the program and the data was collected from 25 individuals. The resulting data was subjected to content analysis. 3 main themes were found to be important in the light of the data: moral development, development of communication skills, and religiousness. These themes were thought to be beneficial in terms of understanding the effectiveness and importance of family members’ internalizing values and turning them into behavior in everyday life.<strong></strong></p>


Author(s):  
Michael T Compton ◽  
Beth Broussard

As discussed in previous chapters, psychosis often first begins in late adolescence or young adulthood. Thus, many people who experience a first episode of psychosis live with and rely on their families for support. In addition to providing a place to live and other basic support, families are key in the recovery process because they love and care for the person with the illness and they want to help. Family members may need to provide emotional support, arrange for treatment, and find new ways to cope with the signs and symptoms of psychosis or other problems that result from the illness. Families are a very important part of the team that is necessary to properly manage psychosis. In fact, now that more effective antipsychotic medicines and psychosocial treatments are available, many people with psychosis often can receive treatment in the community and with their families rather than having extended stays in the hospital. Families play a major role in helping their loved ones manage their illness. As a result, it is vital to create a supportive family environment by reducing stress, coping, and communicating effectively. This chapter focuses on three essential domains of a supportive family environment: reducing stress, enhancing coping, and ensuring effective communication. First, we begin by defining …Families play a major role in helping their loved ones manage their illness. As a result, it is vital to create a supportive family environment by reducing stress, coping, and communicating effectively.… stress and the ways that the early stages of psychosis can lead to stress. We discuss three ways to reduce stress in the family as well as three related ways the family can help the patient to reduce stress. Second, we define coping and talk about the importance of coping with a stressful event, like an episode of psychosis in a family member. We offer three ways of coping effectively for family members as well as three ways that patients can practice effective coping. Third, we address the value of good communication and how the symptoms of psychosis can sometimes interfere with productive communication patterns. We then provide eight points of advice for effective communication within the family.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Caroline J. Mills ◽  
Elisabeth Michail ◽  
Rosalind A. Bye

Occupational therapy is the leading profession with regard to supporting children who experience difficulties with occupations as a result of sensory processing differences. However, there are mixed reports with regard to the efficacy of various sensory interventions and approaches, leaving little clear guidance for occupational therapists supporting children with these difficulties. The Sensory Form is a planning tool developed in 2017 to guide occupational therapists in their professional reasoning for assessment and intervention of sensory processing differences. To date, no research has been conducted on its use. Researchers introduced the tool to 20 occupational therapists with relevant experience and conducted an online survey of their perceptions about The Sensory Form. Findings were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. Therapists reported that they found the tool acceptable for use, described key strengths and weaknesses of The Sensory Form, and outlined changes to improve the tool. The Sensory Form may have an application in guiding the practice of therapists supporting children with sensory processing differences. Further development of associated resources may be warranted.


1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine D. Fondiller ◽  
Lois J. Rosage ◽  
Barbara E. Neuhaus

This exploratory study used qualitative research methods to identify values that influence clinical reasoning in occupational therapy. Through an interview format, selected occupational therapists were asked to respond to a predetermined list of questions about a general case study. The interviews were tape-recorded and a content analysis of the tapes yielded 18 distinct value statements. Implications of the findings and recommendations for further studies are presented. Qualitative research methodology is examined for its utility in occupational therapy.


2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Rogério Donizeti Reis ◽  
Elaine Cristina Pereira ◽  
José Vitor Da Silva

The objective of this study was to identify meanings that family members attribute to the act of caring for elderly individuals with stroke sequels. The participants were family members that were taking care of a senior with stroke sequels, both male and female. The sample was composed of 15 family members. The instruments used for data collection were: a questionnaire referring to the participants’ personal and family profile, in addition to a semi-structured interview script. For extraction of main ideas, Bardin’s content analysis was used. The categories that emerged from the ‘Meaning of caring’ theme were: ‘A lot of love and support’, ‘Hard because of the person’s dependence’, ‘Caring is not hard’, ‘Responsibility’ and ‘Role change’. The conclusion is that caring for an elderly person with stroke sequels involves a variety of aspects and situations. 


2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pramod P. Iyer ◽  
Audhesh K Paswan ◽  
Arezoo Davari

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which love cues are used by brands targeted at multiple decision-makers in a family, specifically the mother and child. Design/methodology/approach – First, secondary database (SmartyPants, 2013) is used to identify clusters of brands with similar benefit groups (i.e. health and nutrition food, indulgence food, entertainment and technology for entertainment and learning) that are most loved by mothers and/or children. Next, a content analysis of the ads for brands in these clusters is used to identify the common positioning cues across these clusters. The data from the content analysis are used to explore the extent to which love cues (along with functional and hedonic) are used by these brands loved by mothers and children. Findings – The results of this study indicate that functional cues dominate the ads for the brands in functional product categories, as well as hedonic product categories. Love cues dominate the ads for functional brands preferred by only either moms or kids, whereas for hedonic brands, love cues dominate the ads targeted at both moms and kids. Research limitations/implications – The authors hope that this study provides an impetus for more empirical work toward understanding the role of love in positioning brands aimed at multiple family members. Practical implications – Love, the underlying thread that connects a family, can be used by brand managers to appeal to multiple family members. Social implications – Families are fundamental to the society. The authors hope that this study helps marketers appreciate that and do a better job of marketing to the families, as families also form the fundamental units of purchase and consumption. Originality/value – This study uses value congruency framework to look at the notion of love as a positioning theme for brands targeted at multiple decision-makers. Hence, the study contributes to the development of family decision-making behavior.


2005 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol M. Musil ◽  
Theresa Standing

Little information exists about the daily lives of women who are grandmothers, and the differences in daily stresses based on caregiving status to grandchildren. This content analysis examines the stresses of 64 grandmothers as grouped by caregiver status (grandmothers raising grandchildren, grandmothers living in multigeneration homes, non-caregivers to grandchildren) as recorded in three-week diaries. The nature of salient issues and stressful interactions differed by caregiver groups. Grandmothers raising grandchildren reported more stresses related to grandchildren's routines, activities, and school progress, more time pressure, and difficult interactions with grandchildren. The diary entries of grandmothers in multigenerational homes reflected their supplemental role in childcare, and sometimes stressful interactions with other family members. Grandmothers with no routine caregiving to grandchildren reported more involvement with those outside the immediate family. Many general concerns about the well-being of the family represent commonalities in grandmothers despite differences in current caregiving roles to grandchildren.


1984 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances A. Vargo

This study investigated the process of adaptation to physical disability by the spouses of the disabled. Ten women, whose husbands had become spinal cord injured after their marriage, were interviewed using an open-ended questionnaire format. Sixteen major themes emerged from the content analysis of the interviews, which was performed using the phenomenological methods of Giorgi (1975) and Collier and Kuiken (1977). Discussion focuses on three areas: (1) the major themes, (2) six factors identified as influencing the outcomes of the adaptation process, and (3) the changes experienced by the participants. These were examined and discussed so as to illuminate the need for services for the non-injured family members. Implications of the study for rehabilitation psychology are discussed and suggestions made for future research endeavors.


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