bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An Exploratory Investigation of Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of Cultural Awareness
Authors: Cheung Yvonne , Shah Surya , Muncer Steven 
Published: April 2015

As the British population becomes increasingly diverse, cultural differences pose challenges for health and social care workers. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate occupational therapy students' perceptions of cultural issues and their perceived level of cultural awareness. A self-administered questionnaire was designed to target the occupational therapy students from a university occupational therapy degree course in the North East of England. Fifty-one of the 65 questionnaires were completed. Two questionnaires were returned as address unknown and, therefore, were excluded from the study. The overall response rate was 81%. The results showed that the students seemed to have a positive attitude towards cultural influences on occupational therapy services. However, a lack of knowledge and skills about different cultures was expressed. The need for more information and education on these issues was emphasised. The findings confirmed that there was a significant negative correlation between the stage of education and training and the amount of exposure to cultural issues in occupational therapy theory. This study offers some insights, which would be beneficial in the development of a culturally sensitive education curriculum and the provision of quality occupational therapy services for people from different cultural commitments.
Time Use of People Living with Schizophrenia in a North London Catchment Area
Authors: Shimitras Leah , Fossey Ellie , Harvey Carol 
Published: April 2015

Time use provides one means to study the lifestyles and community participation of people with disabilities. Previous clinical studies suggest that people with a mental illness experience difficulty in using their time meaningfully. This study examines the time use of 229 adults diagnosed with schizophrenia from an epidemiological survey in London, England. Twenty-four hour time budgets were collected and time use was calculated for 10 major categories of occupations. Few of the participants were engaged in work, active leisure, education or volunteer occupations, their predominant occupations being sleeping, personal care and passive leisure. The women spent significantly more time in domestic occupations and less time in passive leisure occupations than the men. The younger participants spent significantly more time in social occupations than the other age-groups. The older participants, and those attending day centres, spent most time in passive leisure. These findings indicate that many people diagnosed with schizophrenia are not engaged in occupations that support active lifestyles or social inclusion, highlighting the need to improve their opportunities to participate in mainstream social, active and productive occupations. Occupational therapists must work with service users and agencies beyond the mental health system to enable service users' participation in such occupations. Barriers to participation also require further exploration to address these occupational needs better.
Profiting from Consensus Methods in Occupational Therapy: Using a Delphi Study to Achieve Consensus on Multiprofessional Discharge Planning
Authors: Atwal Anita , Caldwell Kay 
Published: April 2015

In occupational therapy, there is much debate regarding many aspects of practice. In order to make effective decisions in situations where there is contradictory or insufficient information, it is important to reach a consensus decision. The Delphi technique is a survey method of research, which aims to gain consensus among a panel of experts using repeated rounds of a questionnaire. This article is based on the first author's experience of using a Delphi survey as part of an action research project, located in a large acute National Health Service trust. This project aimed to analyse and improve multidisciplinary teamwork in discharge planning. The aim of the article is to focus on the Delphi technique as a methodological approach and, to illustrate this, examples are used from the research study. However, before using the Delphi technique, occupational therapists must understand the strengths and weaknesses of this approach.
Improvement in Activities of Daily Living Using the Freehand: A System Designed for People with Tetraplegia
Authors: Esnouf Julie , Taylor Paul , Hobby John 
Published: April 2015

The Freehand system is an implanted device for people with C5/6 tetraplegia, international classification 0, 1 and 2. The implant is designed to improve hand function, particularly in those who lack voluntary muscles suitable for tendon transfer. This study investigated how the Freehand system was being used at home, work and leisure. Twelve participants, who were assessed, implanted and trained with the Freehand system, were reviewed against their preoperative goals. Prior to surgery, eight activities of daily living goals that the participant would like to perform with the Freehand system were selected by him or her. Each task was assessed in three sections: the set-up of the task, the performance and the take-down. The amount of assistance for each section was recorded. This was repeated after training had been completed and daily use established. Each participant was also asked to state a preference on how the tasks would be completed, whether with the system or by the method prior to surgery. The results of this study show an improvement in the participants' functional ability in their selected goals when using the Freehand system. The preference for using the Freehand system to complete tasks applied to 84% of the total 96 tasks chosen by the 12 participants in this study.
Narrative Methods: Talk, Listening and Representation
Authors: Clouston Teena 
Published: April 2015

The involvement of the user in decisions about his or her own health and social care has become a key element of the changes encapsulated in the Government's legislation. Listening to the service user and responding to his or her needs is an integral part of that change. Occupational therapy philosophy has always engendered client-centred practice and, therefore, listening to and valuing the voice of the user. Now, more than ever, occupational therapists have to show that this is an integral part of their everyday practice. Narrative is one method that could be used to explore the lived experiences of users of occupational therapy. This study explored the relevant literature about narrative using qualitative methodology. The emerging themes from the data suggest that narrative, in its varied forms, could be a useful tool in clinical and research-based occupational therapy activity. Also, occupational therapists' own approach and reflexivity within the narrative process are key elements in the effectiveness of this technique.
Women's Leisure Activities, Their Social Stereotypes and Some Implications for Identity
Authors: Taylor Jackie 
Published: April 2015

An understanding of leisure as an area of occupational performance that can contribute to the individual's personal and social development is important to the occupational therapist. The knowledge bases from other disciplines, such as sociology and psychology, have much to offer in developing this understanding. Social identity and stereotype theories and symbolic interactionism suggest that leisure stereotypes may exist and could have an impact on identity. In order to test this concept, 12 leisure activities were used as a means to assess whether leisure stereotypes exist for women. Stereotypes consisting of between 4 and 11 words were obtained using the checklist method, with 40 participants contributing to each stereotype (120 participants contributed in total). The stereotypes were found to include characteristics that were both positively and negatively valued and, consequently, they had a range of favourableness ratings. All but one, golf, were positively evaluated images. The implications of these results are discussed, in the context of relevant theories from sociology, psychology and feminist literature.
Occupational Therapy for Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Survey on the Level of Involvement and Training Needs of Therapists
Authors: Chu Sidney 
Published: April 2015

There has been a substantial increase in clinical activity related to the identification and treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the United Kingdom. The accurate diagnosis and successful management of children with ADHD requires a multifaceted evaluation and treatment package provided by a team of medical, psychological, educational and therapy professionals. Occupational therapists can make distinctive contributions in the processes of evaluation, diagnosis and multifaceted intervention. A national survey was carried out to investigate the level and nature of involvement of paediatric occupational therapists in services for children with ADHD in the United Kingdom. The learning needs of the therapists were also explored in this survey. A questionnaire was sent to all 941 members of the National Association of Paediatric Occupational Therapists. The response rate of this survey was 30%, that is, 282 completed questionnaires were returned. The results showed that only 8.5% of the therapists who responded had involvement in a designated service for children with ADHD. Twenty-seven per cent of the therapists indicated that they did not see children with ADHD. The 63.8% of therapists who did see children with ADHD as part of their overall caseload in a community service did so mainly because of the children's associated problems in different sensory, perceptual, motor and functional performance areas. The reasons for non-involvement are explored and discussed and the learning needs of the therapists and their preferred modes of training are identified.
Culture, Cultural Competency and Occupational Therapy: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Awaad Jerri 
Published: April 2015

Many cultural challenges and questions are raised for Western practitioners developing occupational therapy services within non-Western societies, particularly in specialties, regions or countries where occupational therapy has not previously been recognised. Setting up a new service anywhere can be a daunting task, but it is perhaps more so in the absence of precedent. In an effort to establish a sound, evidence-based approach to a new service development in mental health services in the United Arab Emirates, the literature was reviewed to identify occupational therapy research and perspectives related to culturally competent practice. Three key themes were identified and their relationship to psychosocial, and more general, occupational therapy practice is explored. Guidelines for culturally competent practice, arising from the literature, are also proposed.
Clinical Incidence of Sensory Integration Difficulties in Adults with Learning Disabilities and Illustration of Management
Authors: Green Dido , Beaton Lindsay , Moore Denise , Warren Lin , Wick Vanessa , Sanford J Ellen , Santosh Paramala 
Published: April 2015

This project investigated the prevalence of sensory processing problems in a clinical group and also examined the clinical effectiveness of a specialised therapeutic technique, sensory integrative therapy (SIT), in the treatment of maladaptive behaviours in two adults with learning disabilities. The Sensory Integration Inventory — Revised for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (SII-R, Reisman and Hanschu 1992) was used to identify two clients suspected of having poor sensory processing. A single-subject experimental design (ABAB) was used to assist the objective measurement of the effects of SIT. The results suggest that the SII-R has some limitations in identifying clients who would benefit from SIT. One client (Ms D) was seen to instigate more positive interactions with her environment during and following the treatment phases; however, the overhabituated behaviours of the other client (Mr K) showed little response to SIT. These results are discussed in the form of a practitioner's update, with respect to the indicators of sensory processing dysfunction and the potential therapeutic benefits of SIT as an adjunct to therapeutic interventions for individuals with learning disabilities.
Spirituality in Occupational Therapy: Theory in Practice?
Authors: Belcham Cara 
Published: April 2015

Spirituality is recognised as an essential component of holistic practice, which can have a significant impact on individuals' health and occupation (Christiansen 1997). As such, the need for occupational therapists to recognise and address this area of clients' lives has been identified. However, occupational therapists appear to have some difficulty in addressing this area in practice. This study aimed to examine the factors contributing to any such gap between professional theory and practice and to highlight the ways that any difficulties could be overcome. Postal questionnaires of primarily quantitative design were sent to 98 randomly selected hospital-based occupational therapy departments across England; 79 (81%) were returned completed. Role ambiguity and the lack of inclusion of spirituality in assessments were found to be factors increasing the perceived difficulty of some respondents in addressing religious/spiritual beliefs in practice. The awareness of occupational therapy models was found to increase respondents' perceived confidence and clarity regarding addressing religious/spiritual beliefs in practice. Practical training and information were identified as methods by which confidence in addressing these aspects may be increased.
A Survey of Assistive Equipment Use by Older People following Hospital Discharge
Authors: Hoffmann Tammy , McKenna Kryss 
Published: April 2015

Occupational therapists prescribe assistive equipment to increase clients' independence in self-care activities. This study examined clients' use of assistive equipment post-discharge and explored the factors that might have influenced use. The participants were 127 clients (mean age 78.7 years, 62.2% men) who were issued one or more items of assistive equipment while inpatients at a metropolitan hospital. At approximately 10 weeks post-discharge, the participants completed a postal questionnaire. Of the 407 items of equipment prescribed, 363 (89.2%) were used, with three types of equipment (bathboards, hand-held shower hoses and stair rails) having 100% use. The participants who lived alone were more likely to use toileting equipment and shower chairs than the participants who did not live alone (p<0.05). The long-handled equipment had the lowest usage rates. For unused equipment, 16.5% was not used because it was no longer needed and 9.3% because the participants reported that they had never really needed it. Overall, 91.3% of the participants reported that they had received adequate training in the use of the equipment. Although most of the participants used prescribed assistive equipment, recommendations based on a client-centred approach to the prescription process are made to increase clients' use of equipment further.
The Morriston Occupational Therapy Outcome Measure (MOTOM): Measuring What Matters
Authors: James Sharon , Corr Susan 
Published: April 2015

Occupational therapists recognise the importance of outcome measures, but few appropriate and valued measures are available for use in daily practice. This paper describes a study designed to validate and improve a tool, the Morriston Occupational Therapy Outcome Measure (MOTOM), which measures individual change in occupational performance. It is considered to be an outcome measure that is appropriate for and reflects the nature of occupational therapy. The underlying rationale of MOTOM is described first, together with the structure of the instrument prior to the study. The methods used to investigate its clinical utility and validity are then presented. These include a survey by questionnaire of 36 occupational therapists using MOTOM; interviews with two service managers; an audit of 216 occupational therapy records; and interviews with 36 patients. The results demonstrate that the tool can be incorporated into occupational therapy as an appropriate measure of change in occupational performance, but indicate the need for amendments, which are discussed in the final section.
Life Skills Training in Schizophrenia
Authors: Mairs Hilary , Bradshaw Tim 
Published: April 2015

Rehabilitation approaches incorporating life skills training are widely employed in the treatment of individuals with schizophrenia. However, whether such approaches are effective is unknown (Nicol et al 2003). This pilot study assessed the effectiveness of a life skills training intervention for people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, facilitated by occupational therapists working in community mental health teams. Seventeen clients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and a life skill deficit or deficits were recruited from two National Health Service trusts and participated in up to 12 sessions of life skills training, based upon a treatment manual written specifically for the study. The intervention was facilitated by eight occupational therapists who received training in life skills therapy. A pre-intervention and post-intervention experimental design was used to assess the effectiveness of the programme, with measures of psychiatric symptoms and social functioning being conducted by an independent assessor who was naïve to the intervention being used. For the 13 participants who completed the life skills intervention, participation was found to reduce negative symptoms and overall levels of general psychopathology, although this was not reflected in social functioning. Indeed, a statistically non-significant deterioration in social functioning was found upon completion of the intervention. This uncontrolled study does not allow definitive evaluation of the value of life skills training in schizophrenia, but it does provide justification for a larger-scale controlled trial of a manual based approach to life skills training with this client group.
Mental Health Clients Confirm the Value of Occupation in Building Competence and Self-Identity
Authors: Mee Jeannie , Sumsion Thelma , Craik Christine 
Published: April 2015

Engagement in occupation is proposed to enhance health and wellbeing. To date, few studies have demonstrated this in relation to people with mental health problems. This study aimed to evaluate occupational therapy's beliefs in the restorative powers of occupation from the perspective of people with enduring mental health problems living in the community. Qualitative research methods were used in two mental health day service settings: a workshop, where woodwork was provided as a medium for creative therapy, and a drop-in facility. Participant observation was undertaken over 10 sessions and, during six in-depth interviews, the clients were asked about their occupational experiences and whether they had perceived any benefits from engagement in occupation. Content and inductive analysis as well as concept mapping of the data resulted in emergent themes and subthemes. Occupation was identified both as a means for building competence through the acquisition of skills, coping with challenges and achieving success and as a medium for developing self-identity through the drive to create, feelings of usefulness and engendering a sense of self. These themes help to support the need for an increase in the provision of meaningful occupation for people with enduring mental health problems. However, further research is required to develop and corroborate the findings.
Irrational Beliefs and Job Stress among Occupational Therapists in Singapore
Authors: Tan Bhing-Leet 
Published: April 2015

As members of a human service profession, occupational therapists experience substantial amounts of stress. A number of studies have looked into the levels and sources of stress among occupational therapists. However, no study has examined how belief systems are related to occupational therapists' experiences of job-related stress. This study thus attempted to explore new ground by investigating the relationship between intensity of irrational beliefs and levels of stress. It also sought to examine associations between types of irrational belief and different sources of stress. A cross-sectional survey was carried out, during which self-report questionnaires were either posted or electronically mailed to practising occupational therapists in Singapore. Thirty-seven (53%) occupational therapists responded. The results showed that the intensity of irrational beliefs was unrelated to stress levels among the occupational therapists. However, certain types of irrational belief were related to the experience of certain sources of stress. In particular, low frustration tolerance was associated with stress regarding patient contact and irrationality in self-worth was associated with stress pertaining to rewards and recognition as well as to professional value. The possible explanations for such findings are explored in this paper. At the same time, the implications for practice are outlined, notably the proposal for cognitive strategies to be included in stress management programmes.
Using Vignettes to Assist Reflection within an Action Research Study on a Preoperative Education Programme
Authors: Spalding Nicola J 
Published: April 2015

This paper describes an exploratory use of vignettes in action research. The study was with a group of health care professionals, who were working together to improve their preoperative education programme for patients awaiting a total hip replacement. One vignette, written after the observation of an education programme, is presented to illustrate how the health care professionals used it within an action research cycle in order to reflect on practice and then to implement changes. These changes were mostly to the programme organisation and in preparing the venue for the education. The vignette enabled the health care professionals to appreciate a different perspective to their own lived experience. The value of vignettes used in this way is recognised in this paper because they facilitated the health care professionals' reflections within the action research process.
Being in a Secure Forensic Psychiatric Unit: Every Day is the Same, Killing Time or Making the Most of It
Authors: Farnworth Louise , Nikitin Lara , Fossey Ellie 
Published: April 2015

Institutional environments are challenging settings in which to provide rehabilitation. This study describes the time use of a group of inpatients, the majority diagnosed with schizophrenia, in a secure forensic psychiatric unit in Australia. Time diaries, interviews and fieldnotes were collected over 5 weeks. Eight participants completed time diaries for two consecutive days, of whom five were also interviewed using the Occupational Performance History Interview II. The participants' time use was dominated by personal care and leisure occupations. In general, the participants were dissatisfied with their time use, describing themselves as ‘bored’ or ‘killing time’. Many perceived that the environment created barriers to their participation in valued occupations, yet some also found occupations that provided solace, challenge or a connection with the outside world. The findings indicate the importance of understanding individuals' unique occupational histories, interests and skills in order to create opportunities to engage them in relevant occupations that use personal resources, as part of forensic rehabilitation programmes, and the utility of the Occupational Performance History Interview II in this context. Further research exploring patient and staff perspectives on the challenges of occupational programming in forensic settings and the longitudinal impact of such programming on inpatients' occupational functioning, health and wellbeing is recommended.