British Journal of Occupational Therapy

The purpose of this research was to examine the effect of occupation-based postural stability training on occupational performance and postural stability in visually impaired individuals.

The research was designed as pre-test/post-test, with two groups (study group and control group). A total of 34 individuals with visual impairment were randomly assigned to the two groups. Participants were evaluated using a sociodemographic information form, the Biodex Balance System for postural stability, the Canadian Occupational Performance Measurement for assessing performance and satisfaction of occupations and the semi-structured interview form. The control group received only postural stability training with the Biodex Balance System and the study group received individualised occupation-based postural stability training with the Biodex Balance System BBS during a 12-week intervention (24 sessions).

A statistically significant difference was found between the postural stability values of the study group and the control group when looking at pre and post-training measurements (p < 0.05). It was observed that there was an improvement in the postural stability of the participants in both groups. There was a statistically significant increase in the occupational performance and satisfaction of participants in the study group (p < 0.01).

Adding person-centred, meaningful and purposeful occupations into rehabilitation programmes that use technological devices increases functionality in activities of daily living.

This study aimed to assess the impact of a holistic combination of Occupational Therapy and Social Skills Training on occupational performance, social participation, and clinical symptoms in people with schizophrenia.

60 people with schizophrenia were randomly assigned to two groups. One group received standardized Social Skills Training once a week for a total of 10 sessions, while the other group received a combination of Occupational Therapy and Social Skills Training once a week for a total of 16 sessions.

A greater increase was determined in the scores of COPM total performance/satisfaction and the Community Integration Questionnaire in the Occupational Therapy and Social Skills Training group. Furthermore, these achievements were sustained in the Occupational Therapy and Social Skills Training group compared to the Social Skills Training group at the 6-month follow-up.

The clients received the combination of Occupational Therapy and Social Skills Training showed a better improvement compared to the Social Skills Training group in terms of occupational performance, social participation, and severity of clinical symptoms. The use of Occupational Therapy in a holistic approach in psychosocial rehabilitation of people with schizophrenia can increase their functionality and social participation. Further studies are needed to assess long-term effects of Occupational Therapy in schizophrenia.

Play occupation is central to children’s occupational lives and play is established as a fundamental right. While children with disabilities are at increased risk of play deprivation, few studies have explored the play occupation of children living with severe physical and intellectual disabilities.

Informed by an ethnographic approach, this qualitative study involved 17 participants including five families of children with severe disabilities and six classroom staff. Methods combined observations of children’s play with adult interviews and focus groups to explore factors that influence play in home and school contexts. Findings were analysed using thematic analysis.

Three themes emerged: (a) play as an occupation, play as an activity; (b) an empowered and empowering play partner; (c) the ‘just-right’ play object and environment.

The influence of an empowering and empowered play partner combined with the suitability of the object and environment was central to successful play. A commitment to play for fun, for the wellbeing of these children, and by ‘playing with’ and not ‘doing-to’ the child was fundamental. Although the findings are specific to this study, play facilitators may use them to inform future play interactions through an enhanced understanding of empowerment and enablement for successful play occupation.

In response to growing demands on health and social care services there is an emphasis on communities addressing the needs of local populations to improve lives and reduce inequalities. Occupational therapists are responding to these demands by expanding their scope of practice into innovative settings, such as working with refugees, the homeless and residents of nursing homes, and within sport and leisure environments. The benefits of sport are widely acknowledged, and this paper argues that occupational therapists could play a pivotal role in enabling people to participate.

This qualitative study drew on a phenomenological approach and used interviews and thematic analysis to explore five occupational therapists’ experiences of enabling people to participate in sport.

Findings revealed that participants demonstrated the uniqueness of occupational therapy when enabling people to participate in sport and practised according to their professional philosophy. There were opportunities to reach wider communities and promote the value of occupational therapy by collaborating with organisations, but there were also challenges when working outside of traditional settings.

The study emphasises the unique skills occupational therapists can bring to this setting. It highlights opportunities to expand their practice, to forge new partnerships in sports and leisure environments, and to address the national inactivity crisis.

This pre-post study explored the effect of children’s 6 months’ experience in one of four early power mobility devices.

Satisfaction with parent-selected goal achievement was measured using the wheelchair outcome measure for young people and compared with the assessment of learning powered mobility use, as well as device expectation fulfilment ratings.

Forty-six children with mobility limitations, aged 13–68 months (mean 40.40; SD 15.60) participated. The most common condition was cerebral palsy (n = 33; 71.74%). The Wilcoxon signed rank test measured the positive change in goal achievement (z = 4.90; P<0.001; r = 0.51). Fair to good statistically significant Spearman’s correlations were observed between power mobility skill and goal achievement, as well as parent and therapist device expectation scores (r_s = 0.48, 0.46 and 0.66, respectively; P<0.001). Parent and therapist ratings did not differ significantly. No statistically significant associations were found between goal achievement and child (age, diagnosis, abilities) or environmental factors (device, access method, loan length).

Children at all phases of power mobility skill, using various devices and access methods, can demonstrate activity and participation change following power mobility experience. This study adds validity evidence supporting the use of the wheelchair outcome measure for young people with young children by parent-proxy rating.

Cancer in advanced stages often results in a reduced ability to engage in occupations, which may influence quality of life. A growing number of people with advanced cancer receive palliative care at home and thus the home becomes the place where most of their everyday occupations occur. The purpose of this study was to explore, from an occupational perspective, how people with advanced cancer who live at home perceive quality of life.

A qualitative descriptive design was employed, consisting of two consecutive interviews: a semi-structured interview and a subsequent photo-elicitation interview. Thematic analysis was used to explore the data. Ten participants took part in this study.

The analysis identified three interrelated themes: ‘quality of life during changing circumstances’; ‘striving to continue everyday life’ and ‘being independent and connected’.

The findings highlight the importance of everyday life continuity and ongoing changes and adjustments needed to maintain quality of life. However, due to the progressive nature of advanced cancer, the required adjustments may not always be possible. The findings furthermore show that loss of independence and increased dependence may lead to a new sense of interdependence and closeness with family and friends, which positively influences quality of life.