Looking for a bright side: Tales from a recreational therapy virtual service-learning project during a pandemic

The everchanging policies and inability to utilize university students due to COVID-19 impacted both residents living in long-term care as well as the next generation of students pursuing careers in the field. University Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) faculty strategized solutions as restrictions threatened to impact hands-on opportunities for students. Was there a safe and effective solution to offer residents evidence-based programming while also providing students with vital field experience? Simply stated, the answer was yes. Thus, the UWL Happiness Project was born. This session will outline the UWL Happiness Project, a ten-week, telehealth program implemented between a skilled nursing facility in rural Wisconsin and the UWL Therapeutic Recreation Program, an AGHE Program of Merit for Health Professions designated program. The evidence-based curriculum was developed by an emerging UWL graduate student scholar with faculty mentorship. The innovative curriculum focuses on increasing feelings of happiness using PERMA, a theoretical model grounded in positive psychology. During virtual sessions, older adult residents (ages 65-85) and students built connection while working through weekly focus areas (e.g. vitality, mindfulness, friendship). An overview of AGHE competencies addressed within the project, online course demonstration, and assignment development will be discussed along with information about how these connections fostered an opportunity for students to see aging from a different perspective. This is the first time we are presenting results from the newly developed program. In this, we look forward to sharing student measurements and outcomes, as well as lessons learned during this meaningful, stimulating, and insightful educational session.

Recreational Therapists Consider Leisure Motivation when Evaluating Virtual Reality Games

Virtual reality (VR) interventions can be motivating for clients when presented as treatment in healthcare settings. Researchers know little, however, about the elements of specific VR games that contribute to this motivation. This study aimed to describe differences among a sample of commercially available VR games using the four subscales of the Leisure Motivation Scale (LMS). The research team used a mixed-methods design, and compiled an expert panel of recreational therapists (N = 5) who evaluated eight VR games using Q-sort methodology. Semi-structured interviews generated additional data for the evaluation. Results indicated participants viewed certain VR games as containing elements more closely aligned with each of the LMS subscales of intellectual, social, competence-mastery, and stimulus avoidance than others. These findings represent a critical step in developing guidelines for the purposeful selection of VR games as treatment interventions in recreational therapy practice based on a client’s leisure motivation. Subscribe to TRJ

The Effect of a Recreational Therapy Program on the Pain Anxiety and Quality of Life of Patients with Burn Injuries: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Pain anxiety and dysfunction are among the most prevalent complications of burns, impacting the quality of life of patients with burn injuries. As a non-pharmaceutical approach, recreational therapy can be effective in reducing the complications of burns. This study aimed to examine the effect of a recreational therapy program on the pain anxiety and quality of life of patients with burn injuries. This controlled randomized clinical trial was conducted on 58 patients admitted to the burn center of XXX. These patients were randomly allocated to the intervention and control group. The intervention group received a recreational therapy program three sessions a week, for two weeks. The control group performed routine daily activities. As the main variable of the study, the Burn Specific Pain Anxiety Scale and Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief were completed for both groups before and two weeks after the intervention. After controlling confounders, the pain anxiety score in the intervention group was significantly lower than in the control group (p = 0.002). The total quality of life score was significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group (p = 0.001). In addition, the intervention significantly increased the scores of quality of life in the physical (p< 0.001), emotional (p = 0.009), and social (p< 0.001) dimensions. As it reduces pain anxiety and promotes the quality of life of patients with burn injuries, this recreational therapy program is recommended for promoting the mental health and quality of life of these patients.

An Exploration into the Experiences of Female Veterans Who Attended Higher Ground Military Programming

Female veterans are the fastest growing military group, yet they are largely underrepresented in research (Hawkins & Crowe, 2018a, 2018b; Lundberg et al., 2016). There is a gap in the literature regarding the lived experiences of female veterans. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand female veterans’ experiences while participating in Higher Ground’s military program (HGMP), utilizing semi-structured interviews. Qualitative analysis yielded four themes: 1) transformative experiences, 2) empathetic staff, 3) staff connection to the military, and 4) resources after HGMP. The study’s findings highlight the need for trauma-informed care, cultural competency training for practitioners working in programs that serve female veterans, and offering continued resources after the conclusion of a program. Findings also indicate that participants had transformative experiences during the program. Further research is needed to examine programming elements in other outdoor recreational therapy programs to determine their effectiveness as therapeutic tools.

An Investigation Into the Use of Yoga in Recreational Therapy Practice

Yoga is used in health care with a variety of populations, but limited knowledge exists regarding the details of how yoga is implemented in recreational therapy (RT) practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how yoga is implemented in RT practice. As part of a nation-wide survey and through the use of individual interviews, this secondary analysis investigated how yoga is being used in RT practice across the United States. Sixteen recreational therapists completed both a nation-wide online survey and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative results describe the populations in which yoga is being used in RT practice, as well as the characteristics of recreational therapists who also are employing yoga in their RT practice. Then, conventional and summative content analysis identified four categories related to yoga in RT practice: recreational therapists’ practices, treatment planning, outcomes, and yoga intervention. The findings revealed that yoga is implemented with a variety of populations as part of RT practice. Yoga should be implemented by recreational therapists who are trained to teach yoga or provide population-specific yoga sessions to meet specific patient needs. Limitations of the study and implications are discussed.

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures: A Resource for Recreational Therapists

To our knowledge, information on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) has not appeared in the literature of recreational therapy. This article provides an introduction to PROs and PROMs so recreational therapists may understand them and see their possible applications within recreational therapy. In this article, PROs and PROMs are described. Specific examples of PROMs, and resources for accessing them are provided. Discussion on the value of PROs in the enhancement of client care, challenges to the use of PROMs, and the relevance of PROMS to recreational therapy practice and research follows. It is concluded that the use of PROMs is an emerging approach that recreational therapists need to explore.

Recreational Therapy in Nursing Homes: History, Regulations, COVID-19, and Beyond

The current pandemic has changed the way allied health professionals, including recreational therapists, provide care in the nursing home setting. This article aims to address concerns for older adults residing in nursing homes by reviewing the history of nursing homes, analyzing the impact regulations have had on the recreational therapy profession, and offering considerations for future practice in a COVID-19 world.

Community Participation for Transition- Aged Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review

All people, including individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) deserve to actively participate in the community in which they live. For transition aged-youth (TAY) with IDD, attaining successful community participation can be difficult. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify and synthesize the literature specific to recreational therapy interventions in the U.S. aimed at improving community participation among TAY with IDD. Literature specific to two domains of community participation were explored: a) interpersonal life; and b) community, civic and social life. Eight studies were reviewed using a thematic synthesis approach to identify common themes across studies. Findings revealed three themes: 1) programs with collaboration and community supports, 2) leisure education, and 3) social skills training. Facilitators, barriers, and promising approaches regarding community participation of TAY with IDD are described. Implications and limitations of the current literature are also addressed.