Thesis (MOccTher (Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Occupational Therapy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Objectives: The study aimed to identify the functions that occupational therapy leaders perform in clinical settings in the Metropole District of the Provincial Administration of the Western Cape (PAWC) and determine the influence of these functions on clinical practice. Methodology: The researcher used a descriptive design and a non-standardised questionnaire which was compiled to collect the data for the study. The questionnaire was piloted with a group of occupational therapy leaders from the Boland Overberg Region. Feedback was used to refine the final study questionnaire. Thirty-five study questionnaires were mailed or handed to the participants in the study and the researcher received 25 completed questionnaires; therefore, the response rate was 71.4%. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 10.0) for all the questions. Descriptive statistics were used to report the data. Inter-observer reliability was checked by using the split-half method. The results revealed that the study questionnaire was reliable as Cronbach's Alfa was calculated at 0.90, correlation coefficient Pearson’s r was calculated at 0.51, and Spearman-Brown was calculated at 0.67. Results: The results were presented in relation to the respondents’ number (N = 25). The participants identified 57 leadership functions, grouped as managerial, ethics-related, education, research, and consultation functions. The participants reported to have high performance in both direct and indirect occupational therapy services. Performance in the direct occupational therapy services functions was higher than the performance in the indirect occupational therapy services. Minimal performance in occupational therapy leadership functions was reported for consultation, ethics related, and research functions which need to be addressed by in-service training. The indirect occupational therapy services enabled the participants in the study to perform on a more optimum level regarding the direct occupational therapy services. The occupational therapy leaders had many empowering factors in their work place such as subordinates, supervisors, and top management. Conclusion: The 57 leadership functions identified in the study culminated in an occupational therapy leadership functions framework (OTLFF) which represents the managerial activities of the occupational therapy leaders in the PAWC. These study findings are useful guidelines for occupational therapy professionals and students as guidelines for leadership training, participant facilities to compile job descriptions, and educational facilities to set educational curricula. Recommendations: The study had many shortcomings; therefore, generalisation of results can't be done. The researcher recommends replication of the study using a larger and more representative sample.

Women with enduring mental illness are little considered in research and there is a dearth of occupational therapy literature concerning mental illness, although a third of therapists work in this speciality. This study explored two groups of women within a Scottish context. Phase One involved five women who lived with enduring mental illness, and Phase Two included sixteen occupational therapists who worked in mental health settings with similar women. Qualitative methodology, specifically, life history and focus group interviews, were used to give voice to the women's life and therapists' work experiences. The data from the women's life history interviews was analysed using narrative analysis. This produced a unique, powerful narrative for each illustrating their complex, individualised experiences, allowing insight into and understanding of effects within their lives. This data was then analysed using constant comparative analysis. Six themes portrayed their lives. The findi ngs highlighted the women's experiences as victims and importantly, as agents for themselves and others. Related to their personal agency was the need for future goals and hopes to be recognised and nurtured by health professionals. Furthermore, the significance of the women's experiences along the continuum of motherhood adds to our understanding of the long-term impact of continuing mental illness on women, their children and families. Overall, the women identified that they were experts in their own lives. The focus group material was also subjected to constant comparative analysis. Five themes encapsulated the processes that underpinned therapists' interventions and the inter-dependency of their actions within specific work contexts. Comparison across the two groups of women revealed three common issues: their need for safe environments, their feelings of powerlessness and the importance of being heard. These findings have implications for occupational therapy practice and research specifically as well as conveying important lessons to other professionals.

Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva arbetsterapeuters erfarenheter av att beakta användandet av vardagsteknik vid intervention för klienter med förvärvad hjärnskada. Metod: 12 semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med arbetsterapeuter och insamlad data analyserades med en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Vardagsteknikens inverkan på aktivitet kan många gånger innebära utmaningar, men oftast överväger resurserna utmaningarna. Användandet av vardagsteknik i aktivitet utreds genom intervju och observation, med eller utan bedömningsinstrument. Det stöd som arbetsterapeuter har i att beakta vardagstekniken i aktivitet kommer främst från hjälpmedelskonsulenter, kollegor och ledningen. Arbetsterapeuter önskar mer tid och resurser för att kunna arbeta med vardagsteknik i aktiviteter. Vardagsteknik anses tillhöra arbetsterapeuternas arbetsområde och det finns en tro att vardagstekniken kommer fortsätta öka och så även arbetsterapeutens roll inom området.Slutsats: Studien visar vilka erfarenheter arbetsterapeuter harav att beakta vardagsteknik vid intervention för klienter med förvärvad hjärnskada. Vidare visar studien att vardagstekniken är en del av klienternas dagliga aktiviteter idag. Studien visar att vardagens aktiviteter innehåller allt mer vardagsteknik och att arbetsterapeuters arbete med vardagsteknik kommer fortsätta att öka. Det finns behov av vidare forskning inom ämnet då det finns få studier som belyser vardagsteknik i dagsläget.

Syftet med denna studie var att genom en litteraturöversikt beskriva arbetsterapeutiska interventioner och dess betydelse för personer över 65 år i ordinärt boende. Datainsamling har skett genom att systematiskt välja ut och kvalitetsgranska publicerade vetenskapliga artiklar genom datorbaserade och manuella sökningar med bestämda sökord. De 11 artiklar som ingår i denna studie har analyserats i enlighet med Friberg (2012) och OTIPM ́s (Fisher & Nyman, 2007) fyra interventionsmodeller användes som ett raster vid analys av data. Analysen mynnade ut i tre kategorier, “Personcentrerade interventioner”, “Hälsofrämjande gruppinterventioner” samt “Aktivitetsgruppsom intervention”. Studiens resultat visade att de flest förekommande arbetsterapeutiska interventionerna riktades mot den enskilde individen och gick in under kategorin personcentrerade interventioner innefattande aktivitetsträning, hjälpmedel och miljömässiga förändringar vilket även berör OTIPM ́s modell för kompensation. Arbetsterapeutiska interventioner hade även betydelse för äldre personer i ordinärt boende i form av högre självskattad hälsa, mindre rädsla för fall, bibehållen ADL-förmåga, förändrade strategier för aktivitetsutförande samt ökat socialt engagemang.

Syftet med studien var att beskriva arbetsterapeutiska åtgärder för personer med depression i vuxen ålder. För att besvara studiens syfte valdes en litteraturöversikt för att få en överblick av tidigare forskning och sammanställa till en ny helhet.Data insamlades genom sökning i databaser som resulterade i 12 artiklar som kvalitetsgranskades och analyserades med Fishers (2009) interventionsmodeller som raster. Analysen visade att arbetsterapeutiska åtgärder kunde placeras under tre av interventionsmodellerna och kunde summeras i form av fritidsaktivitet, fritidssysselsättning, fysisk träning, skrivterapier, gruppterapier, coopingstrategier, The Tree Theme Metod, byte av erfarenheter i grupp och livsberättelser. Resultatet visade vidare på att de arbetsterapeutiska åtgärderna är varierande och att det fanns sparsamt vetenskapliga artiklar som tar upp arbetsterapeutiska åtgärder för personer med depression i vuxen ålder. Arbetsterapeutiska åtgärder ger positiva resultat när det gäller åtgärder för personer med depression i vuxen ålder. The Tree Theme Metod (TTM) är en klientcentrerad metod som var mer framträdande i de granskade studierna och författarna kunde summera metoden som betydelsefull åtgärd för arbetsterapeuter att använda i arbete med personer med depression, detta speciellt då depression är ett växande problem i samhället.

Syftet med studien var att beskriva insomningstid, sömntimmar, sömnkvalitet och upplevelsen dagtid innan, efter fyra veckor samt fem månader med tyngdtäcke hos vuxna med sömnbesvär. Författarna valde en kvantitativ ansats för att analysera data vilket innebar sammanställning av rådata insamlat av arbetsterapeuter på en arbetsterapienhet i Sverige. Data bestod av en strukturerad enkät och ett självskattningsformulär som analyserades och sammanställdes med stöd av deskriptiv statistik samt en del kvalitativ innehållsanalys. I resultatet framkom att den tid det tog för respondenterna att somna minskade och antalet sömntimmar ökade. Upplevelsen av sömnkvalitet och vakenhet samt sinnestillstånd dagtid ökade och respondenterna beskrev sig ha flera positiva effekter av tyngdtäcket. Vidare tyder resultaten på en ökad grad av delaktighet i aktiviteter hos respondenterna efter att de använt tyngdtäcke. Sammantaget indikerar resultatet på att tyngdtäcket kan ha en positiv upplevd effekt vid sömnbesvär hos vuxna.

<p> The purpose of this thesis project was to write a grant proposal to obtain funding for an art therapy program for the homeless population residing at the Weingart Center Association in the Skid Row neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles, California. The Weingart Center is a 562-bed emergency shelter facility which provides a range of social services for homeless adult men and women with the primary goals of rapid re-housing, job training and placement, and an end to substance use addiction.</p><p> While the Weingart Center provides valuable social services, this proposed project was designed as a rehabilitative form of treatment through evidence-based practices. The art therapy program would provide an outlet for creativity, the development of inner resources and the enhancement of residents&rsquo; sense of self-worth and personal ability. The actual submission and/or funding of this proposal were not required for the successful completion of this academic project.</p>

No description available.

During occupational therapy training in South Africa, students are expected to consider cultural differences when working with patients. This study considered the training offered to students in terms of cultural diversity and the perceptions of 47 novice community service occupational therapists about their cultural competence as well as how these perceptions had changed after three years of clinical practice. Results indicate that all six participating universities offer training in cultural diversity although university respondents feel this is affected by time, students’ attitudes and their inability to reflect. Most newly qualified occupational therapists felt the training was adequate, although they reported difficulty in working with patients from other cultures in clinical practice. The perceived cultural competency level of the newly qualified respondents varied with some respondents still needing to develop awareness and knowledge and others already extending themselves in terms of cultural skill, encounters and cultural desire. Some used rules and knowledge to guide their intervention and language was seen as a major barrier to practicing culturally appropriate occupational therapy, Three years later three respondents, who could be considered competent occupational therapists, reported using reflection in practice enabled them to consider culture from their clients’ unique perspective. They felt personal experience, opportunities from classroom experiences, fieldwork exposure and professional development activities should be used to strive toward becoming culturally competent. The importance of having relevant resources available was highlighted. Recommendations for occupational therapy curriculum development in terms of cultural competence in South Africa are therefore suggested.

M.Sc. (Occupational Therapy), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2011 / Aim: To compile an assessment protocol, comprising of appropriate assessment methods, which can be used to assess activity participation in those suffering from mental illness. Research methods: An audit of existing performance-based instruments was carried out, and thereafter focus groups with clinicians were conducted. The methods of assessment were collected through review of existing performance-based assessments and by means of discussion groups with occupational therapists in mental health care. Following this the Activity Participation Assessment protocol was compiled. The content validity was then investigated through expert review. Results: Assessment methods for the domains of the Activity Participation Assessment were determined. Common methods of assessment included interviewing, activities, collateral information and standardised assessments. The content validity indices for all domains of assessment were above the 0.80 recommendation for new instruments. Conclusion: The Activity Participation Assessment has good content validity and can be used in the clinical setting.