Patients’ experiences of occupational therapy within a multidisciplinary pain management programme: A qualitative study

2021 ◽  
pp. 204946372110546
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Goodall ◽  
Terence Brown

Background Occupational problems are common for adults experiencing chronic pain, but occupational therapists are not always accessed as part of the multidisciplinary team. Despite evidence of benefit for work-focused interventions, there is limited evidence for broader benefit from occupational therapy interventions within the context of multidisciplinary pain management. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of programme attendees who received structured intervention from an occupational therapist as part of a multidisciplinary pain management programme, and gain an understanding as to how they felt it influenced changes they made to occupational participation. Method A qualitative approach was undertaken with 9 individual patients recruited from a group pain management programme for adults with chronic low back pain. Semi-structured interviews were carried out, recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes in the data. Results Three key themes were identified: 1) the helpfulness of activity pacing techniques 2) the value of participating in a therapeutic activity-based session and 3) an increased understanding of the importance of leisure and creative activities in the context of their lives. Conclusion Participants perceived the specific occupational therapy content of the programme to be helpful in a number of different ways. The findings suggest that occupational therapy can be important in facilitating patients to apply theoretical techniques in the real world, thereby increasing the likelihood of long term benefit.

1998 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Abrahamson

Research findings are consistent in showing a strong, specific and coherent association between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and long-term psychiatric problems. Occupational therapists working in mental health services must therefore have contact with survivors of abuse, yet the literature reveals a paucity of research on their role. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine occupational therapists to explore their knowledge and practice concerning this issue. All respondents considered that awareness of CSA was pertinent to their profession and should be taught during education and training. None of them had received teaching in this area. Most respondents thought that it was not their role to deal with CSA in depth. However, the context in which they worked provided an opportunity for initial disclosure which might not happen elsewhere and needed to be handled skilfully. Occupational therapy techniques, including creative methods, link in well with other approaches, especially counselling, in treating the long-term effects of CSA. Continuing educational requirements and the role of occupational therapy with this client group need to be addressed by the profession.


2017 ◽  
Vol 80 (9) ◽  
pp. 568-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Birken ◽  
Elyse Couch ◽  
Mary Morley

Statement of context Occupational therapists in clinical practice are required to deliver interventions within clinical trials to demonstrate the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions. Challenges to participation in intervention research by occupational therapists working in community mental health have been identified and require further investigation. Critical reflection on practice A cross-sectional online survey of occupational therapists working in mental health was used, and obtained a 50% ( n = 144) response rate. Limited time, large generic caseloads, and lack of skills and experience in research were identified barriers to participation in occupational therapy intervention research. Occupational therapists had limited dedicated time to carry out occupational therapy interventions and outcome measurement was limited. Implications for practice Occupational therapy roles need to be regained in adult community mental health alongside routine outcome measurement. This will enable occupational therapy interventions to contribute to community mental health services and support participation in clinical trials of occupational therapy interventions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-12
Author(s):  
M. V. Vitomska ◽  

The purpose of the study is to determine the current provisions on occupational therapy interventions for children with ASD, features of their practical implementation and effectiveness based on the analysis of research data. Materials and methods. This work is the result of the analysis of scientific and methodological developments on the practical implementation of occupational therapy interventions in terms of timing and scope, complexity and role of the family; comparison of research results, which are devoted to the study of the effectiveness of behavioral therapy and SI, as the main interventions of occupational therapists. Results. Early rehabilitation of a child with ASD contributes to the formation of the necessary skills in everyday life and communication. To date, the largest evidence base has been accumulated by intervention programs, which are based on the principles of improving parent-child relations and are aimed at developing social and communication skills. Occupational therapy in ASD is aimed at overcoming motor anxiety, disorders of large and fine motor skills, coordination of movements and ability to learn, speech. SI-based occupational therapy is used to improve the processing of sensory information, improve the efficiency of "registration" and modulation of the senses, as well as help in the formation of simple adaptive responses. The effectiveness of sensory and motor interventions is manifested in positive changes in the social interaction of children, purposeful play and normalization of sensitivity. Sensory interventions of occupational therapists can reduce maladaptive behavior, hyperactivity, as well as inhibit self-stimulation, stereotyped movements and improve attention. Researchers recommend that occupational therapists combine sensory interventions with functional tasks that help the child's practice in achieving the goal of the activity. Conclusions. There is a large number of approaches and techniques used in occupational therapy for children with ASD. Given the lack of evidence to determine the most effective of them, it should be noted that additional research is needed to address this issue


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-53
Author(s):  
Lilia Osipova

Home is a significant environment for any child with or without special needs and one of the important environments where occupational therapy is aimed to bring improvement if necessary in terms of quality of life. The current descriptive qualitative study was designed to find out parental perceptions about occupational therapies provided in their own environments with their children with special needs. The participants of the study were five parents whose children with different special needs were getting private in-house occupational therapy services provided by the researcher at the moment of the study. The data for this study was collected through semi-structured interviews. Interviews were designed to understand how parents perceive in-house Occupational Therapy Services.    The findings of the study suggest significant improvements in the quality of life of their children with special needs, thus no one could specifically differ occupational therapy interventions in-home and in other professional settings. It is obvious because of the lack of settings in Armenia with Occupational Therapies and lack of information about the profession in general. Future research is recommended to be conducted between two different groups with Occupational Therapies in-home and other settings, with a larger group and more specific issues. Findings revealed that in-home services are convenient in many different aspects for parents of children with special needs and it should be considered for future practices. 


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Schultz Petersen ◽  
Siv Therese Bogevik Bjørkedal ◽  
Anne Marie Torsting ◽  
Lene Falgaard Eplov

Background/AimsStudies investigating the effect of occupational therapy in mental health are few. This scoping review aims to identify, present and assess studies that have investigated the effect of occupation- and activity-based/focused interventions performed by occupational therapists in mental health.MethodsThe scoping review involved searching six databases, covering articles from 2003 to 2018. ‘The Matrix Method’ was used to describe and synthesise the content of the included studies. The Oxford Level of Evidence was used to rank the evidence, and The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme was used to assess the quality of the study.ResultsA total of 21 original studies and 4 systematic reviews were included in this review. Interventions, approaches, programmes, training, and activities such as cooking, artwork, crafts, pottery, sports, calligraphy, horticulture, and music, organised individually or in groups, were investigated in the included studies. Individualised occupational therapy showed clinically significant improvements in social functioning and cognition, promising results were found on supported employment and education.ConclusionsFew high-quality studies that have investigated the effect of occupation-and activity-based/focused interventions performed by occupational therapists in mental health were found. This scoping review highlights the importance of future high quality studies to support evidence-based practice within mental health occupational therapy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Cathy Clarke

Hoarding is often described as a medical disorder, defined by a persistent difficulty in discarding possessions and associated high levels of emotional distress when forced to part with these. This article will discuss how having a different view of hoarding, seeing hoarding as a daily occupation which provides value, purpose, and meaning and with a relationship to self-identity and life purpose, could offer alternate interventions to support an individual who hoards. The article will consider the components of hoarding activity and how these relate to health and wellbeing and doing, being, belonging, and becoming as understood by occupational therapists. The article will consider what occupational therapy, a profession which considers a person’s daily occupations, the things that occupy their time and which give meaning to their existence, could offer as an alternative to current hoarding interventions. Proposals for occupational therapy interventions will be suggested which would support occupational choice, support engagement in activities which have more positive outcomes on a person’s health, and seek to address barriers which limit engagement and occupational performance in activities within the person’s home environment.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Allison ◽  
Jenny Strong

Verbal interaction with clients is a major component of most occupational therapy interventions, yet there is a paucity of occupational therapy literature which has examined the ways therapists use verbal communication in practice. Communication accommodation is a verbal stance in which the speaker appropriately attunes his or her interaction in response to another person in order to enhance relationships and increase communicative efficiency. In this qualitative study the awareness of a group of occupational therapists regarding the use of communication accommodation was examined. Methods by which they determined the need to accommodate their speech and specific accommodation strategies they used in verbal interaction with clients were recorded.


2019 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan M. Edgelow ◽  
Megan M. MacPherson ◽  
Faye Arnaly ◽  
Linna Tam-Seto ◽  
Heidi A. Cramm

Background. People who are diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can experience disruptions in their daily occupations. Occupational therapists may assist clients with PTSD to reengage in meaningful occupations. Purpose. This scoping review aims to identify and describe the ways occupational therapy addresses PTSD in clinical practice. Method. Scholarly databases were searched for documents relating to occupational therapy and PTSD. Two reviewers independently applied selection criteria and systematically extracted information. Data were extracted and synthesized in a narrative format. Findings. Fifty sources met inclusion criteria and three major themes were identified: recognizing trauma within specific populations, PTSD’s impact on a range of occupations, and occupational therapy’s response to PTSD. Implications. Occupational therapists are working in multidisciplinary teams to reduce the impact of PTSD on the daily occupations of their clients. More effectiveness studies are required to understand the outcomes of occupational therapy interventions for clients with PTSD.


2003 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 101-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscilla A Harries ◽  
Ken Gilhooly

The aim of this research was to conduct a cluster analysis on data from 40 community mental health occupational therapists to determine if subgroups of therapists had differing referral prioritisation policies. A Ward's cluster analysis showed four clusters to be present. These four subgroups of occupational therapists were found to differ according to several factors: the percentage of role dedicated to specialist occupational therapy or generic work, satisfaction with the balance in these roles, the number of hours worked, the number of professionally trained team members and the presence of referral prioritisation policies. The subgroups were named the aspiring specialists, the satisfied specialists, the satisfied genericists and the chameleons (those not set in applying a consistent or specific policy). The policies that led to mainly generic working gave greatest importance to clients who were potentially violent or at risk of suicide. The policies that led to more of an occupational therapy role gave particular importance to the reason for referral and the client's diagnosis. The College of Occupational Therapists has recommended that the majority of casework should be focused on specialist occupational therapy interventions (Craik et al 1998): most of the participants in this study were not meeting this recommendation. Although some aspired to being more specialist, the pressures to work generically may have been affecting referral policies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Becky Field ◽  
Elizabeth Coates ◽  
Gail Mountain

Introduction Health policy promotes living well with dementia. Occupational therapists deliver interventions to support people with dementia and family carers to live well. This study aimed at identifying influences on uptake of a community occupational therapy intervention by people with dementia and carers, as little evidence about this topic exists. Method Seventeen semi-structured, paired interviews with people with dementia and carers were conducted as part of the ‘Valuing Active Life in Dementia’ research programme. A secondary, qualitative analysis of these interviews explored influences on uptake of the intervention. Findings Four main themes were identified: ‘Grabbing at straws and keen to take part’; ‘We’re trying to put a routine in’; ‘We didn’t know what to expect’, and ‘Give it a go’. Factors identified as potentially influencing uptake included whether the intervention was perceived as potentially meeting needs for support and activity, and whether participants were struggling to adjust or cope. Conclusion Despite limited expectations or apprehension, uptake of this intervention was demonstrated. Understanding why people with dementia and carers accept intervention offers can inform what occupational therapists provide and how it is offered. Further research is required to determine the occupational therapy interventions people with dementia and carers might find supportive at different stages of the disease trajectory.


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