bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Patient Violence in Community Mental Health: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Blank Alison 
Published: April 2015

The past decade has seen an increasing focus on care in the community. During this period, the media has given a high profile to a number of incidents where members of the public and health service staff have been assaulted by patients of mental health services. Many occupational therapists work in community mental health teams and there is a nationally acknowledged need for risk assessment and management. Despite this, an electronic search of five major databases and eight occupational therapy journals revealed no literature within the occupational therapy profession examining risk assessment and management. The existing literature is from the nursing and medical professions. A systematic review of 10 studies, two conducted in the United Kingdom and eight in the United States of America, is presented. It is suggested that the occupational therapy profession urgently needs to address this gap in its literature and consider what can be learned from other professions.
The Raeden Early Development Group for Preschool Children with Motor Difficulties
Authors: Macdonald Jenny 
Published: April 2015

The Early Development Group at the Raeden assessment and treatment centre in Aberdeen included children and their parents, nursery nurses, therapists and teachers. It aimed to evaluate an alternative treatment method to that used in the centre for preschool children with disorders of movement and posture. The history, aims, philosophy and organisation of the group are described together with the research and the personal observations of the author, a paediatric occupational therapist who was the coordinator of the group. The concept for the group developed after visits to the Pet Institute in Budapest by the author and a paediatrician and incorporated some of the concepts of conductive education. The major findings of the project indicated increased confidence of the parents, high levels of parent and child involvement and enjoyment, and improved communication and interaction between parents and staff. There were improvements, but not marked changes, in motor abilities. Additional resources are needed for such a project and there needs to be adequate preparation of staff when new practices are introduced. The use of video recordings was an important source of data.
Illness Narrative and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: a Review
Authors: Hughes Julie L 
Published: April 2015

Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) remains a contentious and stigmatised condition despite its recent medical recognition as an official illness. As a chronic condition, both the devastating effect that it has upon the daily occupational functioning of these people and upon their families and the rate of prevalence in the United Kingdom suggest that occupational therapy could make a significant contribution. This article seeks to describe and discuss the purposes that illness narratives may serve for those with CFS/ME. It is proposed that occupational therapists need to, first, acknowledge the subjective experience of those who are living with CFS/ME through sharing these narratives and, second, facilitate the process by which the voice of people with CFS/ME is heard with regard to the service provision. Only then can they claim to offer a truly client-centred service.
Being Prepared for Diversity in Practice: Occupational Therapy Students' Perceptions of Valuable Intercultural Learning Experiences
Authors: Whiteford Gail , St-Clair Valerie Wright 
Published: April 2015

Occupational therapists are increasingly working in diverse areas of practice, in diverse settings and with diverse client groups. Accordingly, understandings of the complexities of interactions between service providers and clients, relative to the environments and contexts in which they come together, are requisite to competent practice. This article describes a phenomenological study undertaken with occupational therapy students in New Zealand, which focused on their experiences of learning to work with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. In this article, a subset of the findings from the study is presented. This subset of findings was that client-centredness and hands-on experiences in fieldwork were perceived to be the most important features of the occupational therapy students' education as preparation for working with clients from different cultural backgrounds. A presentation of narrative extracts and interpretive commentary is followed by a discussion of the implications of the findings for occupational therapy education, especially fieldwork education.
Portfolios: Portraits of Our Professional Lives
Authors: Alsop Auldeen 
Published: April 2015

This article aims to explore how occupational therapists might demonstrate their continuing competence to practise in the light of new regulatory requirements. The capacity of therapists to fulfil their obligations depends on a number of factors, including their ability to reflect on practice in a critical way, their commitment to learning and their desire for personal and professional growth. Portfolio development is likely to be the means by which therapists demonstrate their efforts to remain competent. Portfolios will become the canvas on which personal, professional and career initiatives are displayed as evidence of continuing professional development. A review of the literature supports an exploration of these various themes.
Systematic Review: Evidence of the Value of Continuing Professional Development to Enhance Recruitment and Retention of Occupational Therapists in Mental Health
Authors: Hunter Elaine , Nicol Margaret 
Published: April 2015

Occupational therapy in mental health is changing as a result of service developments. The College of Occupational Therapists reported these changes and their impact for occupational therapists in the Mental Health Project (Craik et al 1998b). This report suggested that there were problems in recruitment and retention in the field of mental health. Background reading for this article highlighted that a variety of factors is influential for an occupational therapist to enter, remain in or leave a post. One factor identified to assist recruitment and retention was the influence of continuing professional development. A comprehensive literature search was carried out to identify the evidence regarding the influence of continuing professional development in enhancing recruitment and retention. A protocol was developed to search for published research and evaluations specific to state-registered occupational therapists from a range of clinical specialties. Thirteen articles were cited and these are systematically reviewed with key findings documented. The review identified that there was little evidence for the influence of continuing professional development on staff recruitment and retention and that no study had set out to explore the relationship between the two in isolation. What evidence was available suggests that recruitment and retention are influenced by a combination of personal and professional factors. In concluding, the findings outline the implications for research and practice.
The Purpose and Practicalities of Postgraduate Education
Authors: Alsop Auldeen , Lloyd Carol 
Published: April 2015

This article suggests ways in which continuing professional education might contribute to occupational therapists' ongoing professional development. It highlights the need to view critical skills as a feature of competent practice and discusses the relative merits of enhancing these skills through workplace learning and postgraduate study. It is suggested that occupational therapists aspiring to leadership positions and consultant therapist posts seek postgraduate opportunities to prepare themselves for these roles. Consideration is given both to how occupational therapists might make choices about programmes of continuing education and to how they might prepare to undertake postgraduate study.
Upper Limb Sensation in Children with Congenital Limb Deficiencies: Implications for Function and Prosthetic Use
Authors: Johnson Lindy , Hickey Annabel , Scoullar Barbara , Chondros Patty 
Published: April 2015

Little is known about sensation in children with upper limb congenital deficiencies. Is sensation different in the deficient limb? If so, does sensation influence function and determine whether or not a prosthesis is used? This study was undertaken to measure sensation in children with transradial congenital limb deficiencies and to explore possible associations with function and prosthetic use. Twenty-four children and adolescents were evaluated on touch pressure and kinaesthesia measurement tools. The participants' parents were required to rate their child's performance on everyday functional activities and, where appropriate, report on their child's patterns of prosthetic use. The results revealed that most participants had better touch pressure sensation at the stump circumference of the deficient limb, not only compared with the same level on the intact limb (p = 0.06) but also compared with the hand (p = 0.008). All the participants demonstrated perfect scores for kinaesthetic awareness for both limbs. No strong association was found between touch pressure and performing functional activities or prosthetic use patterns. This study is an important contribution to understanding upper limb sensation in children with congenital limb deficiencies and the implications for function and prosthetic use. Further research involving multiple centres would provide an adequate sample size to explore more fully sensation in children with congenital upper limb deficiencies and its possible association with function and prosthetic use.
Views from the Inside, Part 1: Routes to Diagnosis — Families' Experience of Living with a Child with Arthritis
Authors: Britton Carrie , Moore Ann 
Published: April 2015

This is the first of a trilogy of articles that presents the experiences and perspectives of 46 families about what it is like to live with and care for a child with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). An independent professional recruited the children from a random sample of families who attended consecutive outpatient appointments at the juvenile arthritis clinic and who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Qualitative and quantitative data from self-completion questionnaires, transcripts from semi-structured interviews with family members in their homes, family-filmed video diaries, and diaries written by siblings and children with arthritis were analysed. These different types of data were gathered over 18 months in order to collect information about the fluctuating nature of this disease and the impact of this changeability on family members. Part 1 concentrates on a brief presentation of relevant literature, presents a simplified map of the findings and introduces the families' early experiences of seeking and coping with the diagnosis of JIA. The article explores the myth that arthritis only affects elderly and infirm people, explains the mirage effect and discusses the significance of different routes to diagnosis. The majority of the families felt that these early events had a significant, sometimes considerable, impact upon how they coped later, including how they related subsequently to health care professionals and engaged with continuing prescribed health care programmes. The findings report the families' experiences as recipients of health care by many different professionals and relate to their recollection and interpretation of events. Research into the professionals' perspectives would be illuminating but did not fall within the scope of the present study. The experiences of families of children with arthritis are shared by families of children with other chronic conditions and by other carers and service users.
The Competence of Mental Health Occupational Therapists
Authors: Greaves Amanda Jane , King Robert , Yellowlees Peter , Spence Susan , Lloyd Chris 
Published: April 2015

This research sought to investigate the self-perceived competence of mental health occupational therapists in Queensland. The research is a post-hoc analysis of survey results that formed part of the 1995 Professional Development Strategy for Adult Mental Health Services for the Queensland Health Mental Health Unit. A sample of 55 occupational therapists was compared with other professionals in relation to both general self-efficacy and efficacy in specific competencies. The devised scale for measuring self-efficacy was found to have a high level of internal reliability. The results indicated that the general self-perceived competence of occupational therapists for the whole sample was comparable to that of other professional groups, but that in the community-based sample it was significantly higher than that of social workers or nurses. In addition, occupational therapists in community settings had significantly higher general self-perceived competence than occupational therapists in hospital locations. Greater length of experience in mental health was strongly predictive of higher levels of competence for occupational therapists than for other professionals. The results suggest that occupational therapists have adapted well to the demands of multidisciplinary community practice. The possible reasons for these results, and the implications for competency-based recruitment and training, are presented.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: An Evaluation of an Occupational Therapy Inpatient Intervention
Authors: Cox Diane L 
Published: April 2015

It has been stated that, although most chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients can be treated in primary care and that cognitive behaviour therapy and prescribed, graded aerobic exercise appear to be promising in outpatient management, a minority of patients will require inpatient care (Royal Colleges of Physicians, General Practitioners and Psychiatrists 1996). To date, little has been written on the need for and impact of an inpatient approach for patients with CFS. This study builds on previous work to show how patients with complex CFS responded to a specifically designed occupational therapy inpatient programme, using the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy and graded activity. A quasi-experimental study was carried out using current inpatients with those on the waiting list as a comparison. At 6 months following discharge, a significant difference between the groups in terms of symptoms and level of ability was not demonstrated. However, a significant effect was shown in patients' perceived health, length of time tired and management of the illness. Thirty-one (72%) of the inpatient group, compared with 10 (53%) of the comparison group, stated that they felt better than the previous year. Thirty-one (72%) of the inpatient group, compared with 7 (37%) of the comparison group, indicated better management of their illness. These findings give some evidence of the need for an inpatient CFS management programme for specific patients with complex CFS.
Occupational Therapy in Social Services: A Missed Opportunity?
Authors: Riley Jill 
Published: April 2015

The College of Occupational Therapists' recent document, A Strategy for Modernising Occupational Therapy Services in Local Health and Social Care Communities - a Consultation (COT 2002), has provoked debate within the profession on the future delivery of occupational therapy services across health and social care. This seems an appropriate time to reflect on events of 30 years ago when, following the initial separation of health and social services, the profession was faced with the dilemma as to where occupational therapists should be located. This paper looks at the events and issues influencing the profession's decisions then, using a grounded theory approach and drawing on literature and documentation. At that time, discussions raised concerns about the division of skills, adherence to the ethical code and the status within the profession of occupational therapists working in local authorities. The profession's immaturity, lack of autonomy and medical orientation were key factors in influencing its response, which focused on drawing all occupational therapists into the health service. Despite lengthy discussions and consultations, the profession could not influence events and some local authority occupational therapists automatically became part of the newly set-up social services departments. Analysis reveals a possible missed opportunity to establish a firm foundation for occupational therapy in social services, the consequences of which are still evident today.
Organisational Change and Occupational Therapy
Authors: Lloyd Chris , King Robert 
Published: April 2015

Major restructuring of health care services has meant changes in service delivery, organisational structures and work practices. There has been a significant impact on the roles and responsibilities required of health care professionals in the current health care environment. The literature reveals that this often brings about conflict between professional values and organisational values. Although many of the current changes in health care are compatible with the philosophy of occupational therapy, there are policy and organisational factors that have an impact on occupational therapy practice and service delivery. In this article, the emerging characteristics of the contemporary health care environment are identified and the strengths and weaknesses of the profession in adapting to this environment are discussed. It is argued that the survival and growth of the profession are dependent on the extent to which it is able to capitalise on strengths, overcome weaknesses, articulate its overall purpose and function and redefine its role and scope of practice in order to meet changed societal and organisational demands.
Generic and Specialist Occupational Therapy Casework in Community Mental Health Teams
Authors: Harries Priscilla A , Gilhooly Ken 
Published: April 2015

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.
A Delphi Survey of Best Practice Occupational Therapy for Parkinson's Disease in the United Kingdom
Authors: Deane K H O , Ellis-Hill C , Dekker K , Davies P , Clarke C E 
Published: April 2015

This study was designed to determine the character of best occupational therapy practice for Parkinson's disease in the United Kingdom. Two hundred and forty-two occupational therapists treating people with Parkinson's disease were sent a Delphi survey containing statements about best practice and asked to indicate their level of agreement with each statement. The second survey contained the same list of statements, with group levels of agreement from the first round for each statement. The respondents re-rated their answers and gave their opinion on the efficacy of various interventions. One hundred and fifty occupational therapists (62%) completed both rounds. Ninety-nine per cent of the respondents agreed that Parkinson's disease required lifelong provision of occupational therapy, within multidisciplinary teams, and that the social and psychological aspects of the disease were as important as the physical ones. The occupational therapists had confidence in many techniques for achieving physical, social and psychological goals. However, 40% of the respondents could not rate the efficacy of social and psychological techniques owing to a lack of knowledge. There was a high level of consensus nationally on the character of best practice occupational therapy for Parkinson's disease. The survey highlighted a need for more postgraduate training, especially in psychological techniques.
The Negotiation and Use of Personal Assistance by Women with Chronic Arthritis
Authors: Goodacre Lynne , Goodacre John 
Published: April 2015

The aim of this study was to gain a greater understanding of the impact of chronic arthritis on the functional ability of women, the strategies that they used to maintain their function and the integration of these strategies into their lifestyles. A qualitative approach was adopted, using semi-structured interviews, personal diaries and focus groups. Twelve women with chronic arthritis participated over a period of 2 years. All the interviews and focus group discussions were transcribed and coded. The data analysis involved the development of a thematic framework to identify recurring themes and their relationships. The negotiation and use of personal assistance emerged as an important strategy used by the women. It was highlighted as a complex strategy owing to the number of factors influencing its use, the personal connotations of being a recipient of assistance and the need to negotiate levels of assistance with other family members. Insights into the women's use of assistance have the potential to inform the way in which this strategy is approached in educational programmes and also highlight the need to address how people with chronic arthritis communicate their need for assistance and negotiate help within the family.
Active and Passive Shoulder Range of Motion in Healthy Older People
Authors: McIntosh Lynette , McKenna Kryss , Gustafsson Louise 
Published: April 2015

This study was conducted to determine the effect of increasing age on four shoulder movements and to explore the need for normative data for shoulder range of motion (ROM) in people aged 50 years and older. Forty-one participants were conveniently recruited according to four age categories: 50–59 years, 60–69 years, 70–79 years and 80 years and over. Goniometric measurement of bilateral active and passive ROM for flexion, abduction, internal rotation and external rotation was analysed using paired sample t-tests and compared with the norms of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) using one sample t-tests. Passive ROM was greater than active ROM for all movements (p<0.001). Active and passive ROM were significantly (p<0.01) lower than the AAOS norms, except for passive external rotation (p = 0.07). The General Linear Model procedure was used to determine the effect of age, gender, activity level, work history and body mass index on active ROM. The results showed that age (p = 0.001) and work history (p = 0.012) significantly influenced flexion, work history (p = 0.008) significantly influenced abduction and gender (p = 0.018) significantly influenced internal rotation. None of the independent variables influenced active external rotation. Preliminary normative data are presented as percentiles by age and work history for clinical reference. Comparing patients' ROM measurements with age-related and activity-related norms will assist occupational therapists in establishing realistic goals during rehabilitation.