Making Sense of the Subprime Crisis

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An Online Educational Resource on Adaptive Sports for People with Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury (SCI) has a serious impact on an individual’s participation in everyday life activities, leading to a high risk of a sedentary life-style. There is a paucity of research pertaining to adaptive sport participation post-injury and the role of occupational therapy (OT). Additionally, there are limited resources available that inform people with SCI on the benefits of adapted sports or where to go to engage in them. As such, this paper describes the development of a doctoral capstone project to address this need. The purpose of this capstone project was to create an educational web page that will overcome the barriers to sport participation for people in wheelchairs, by providing benefits and links to sport organizations to promote participation.The methods that were used to conduct this capstone project were survey’s, checklists, interviews, observation and a literature review to create an online educational resource. Over a 16-week capstone experience, a 10-section website was developed informed by the literature and input from key stakeholders. OT practitioners and the SCI population will benefit from the results of this capstone project.The availability of the created online resources will serve as a resource to clinicians to promote engagement in adaptive sports among their clients with SCIs. Additionally, the website will inform people with SCIs of the availability of adaptive sports for people with SCIs.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesfall2021/1023/thumbnail.jp

The Role of OT with Individuals Living with Eating Disorders: A Scoping Review

Background: Eating disorders (ED) are mental and physical illnesses that affect an individual globally, disrupting their ability to function and participate in daily life. Objectives: The objective of this capstone project was to conduct a scoping review of the literature to define the role of OT in the treatment of clients with ED. Methods: A database search was performed using the following electronic databases: CINAHL Complete, Medline, APA PsycInfo, and OpenDissertations, using the search terms “occupational therapist or occupational therapy” and “eating disorders or anorexia nervosa or bulimia or disordered eating”. Articles were screened and reviewed for the following inclusion criteria: (a) addresses OT intervention; (b) intervention must be for clients with ED; (c) must be published in the English language; (d) must have been published between the years (2000-2021); (e) must be available in full text; (f) must be from a refereed journal. Data was extracted and charted using tables to identify themes through data analysis according to the OT process. Results: The behaviors of OT practitioners were variable, with sparse evidence-base. Evaluations and assessments were client-centered and collaborative. The most common interventions included occupation-based meal cookery groups, and education and training throughout occupational interventions. Conclusion: This scoping review organized the current OT literature to define a role for OT practitioners with the ED population. Implications for future research include similar meal cookery studies completed with a larger sample size, screening of cognition and attention, consideration of family/caregiver perspectives and goals during evaluation, needs assessment/research tailored to the adolescent population, and research using The Role Checklist outcomes in greater detail.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2021/1025/thumbnail.jp

Habituation in Occupational Therapy for People with Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is an ongoing chronic health problem affecting millions of people worldwide. Habituation is a construct used by the occupational therapy (OT) practice model, the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO). Habituation relates to a persons’ roles, habits, and routines, and how these interact to shape occupational participation and performance. Since the habitual use of alcohol is a key component of AUD, an understanding of how habituation is addressed in OT intervention is essential. The OT literature has not been systematically reviewed to determine how habituation is addressed in OT practice in clients with AUD, leaving it difficult for practitioners to address clients’ habituation in OT intervention. The purpose of this project was to conduct a scoping review of the literature to identify how habituation was addressed in OT intervention with clients with AUD. This study aimed to answer: How is habituation addressed in the literature addressing occupational therapy intervention with clients with alcohol use disorder? Established scoping review methodology guided this review. Of 156 identified articles, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Data was grouped into themes and is displayed in frequency tables in relation to the major MOHO constructs. Findings indicate that the MOHO construct of habituation was discussed in the literature more than the other MOHO constructs but was addressed the least in OT interventions. This disconnect suggests that OT intervention should have a more focused approach to habituation in intervention planning.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstones-spring2022/1023/thumbnail.jp

A Manualized Occupational Therapy Communication Skills Intervention for Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects many individual\u27s participation in daily activities. There is a lack of research in the area of occupational therapy (OT) treatment for veterans with PTSD. However, there has been an expressed need in the literature for a developed intervention for veterans with PTSD that includes communication skills as a component. To date, a manualized communication skills OT intervention for veterans with PTSD has not been created. The purpose of this paper was to develop a resource tool for occupational therapists to utilize as an intervention when treating veterans with PTSD using the framework of the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) as its theoretical foundation.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2024/1007/thumbnail.jp

An Occupational Therapy Assessment Guide for People with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

This poster presents development of an occupational therapy assessment guide tailored for individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder. Motivated by the lack of standardized assessment protocols in the field, the initiative seeks to mitigate inconsistencies among occupational therapy practitioners and propel advancements in treatment. Key objectives include a comprehensive review of pertinent literature on occupational therapy and posttraumatic stress disorder, identification of functional impairments associated with the disorder, and the formulation of an assessment framework. Rooted in the Model of Human Occupation, the guide underscores the significance of volition, habituation, performance capacity, and environmental influences, accommodating individual preferences and disruptions while evaluating the multifaceted abilities affected by posttraumatic stress disorder. Methodologically, rigorous literature reviews and expert validation enhance the guide\u27s utility. The resultant guide holds promise in promoting assessment consistency, facilitating problem identification, guiding intervention selection, and fostering research endeavors in occupational therapy. Ultimately, it aims to contribute to the development of more effective therapeutic approaches for individuals managing posttraumatic stress disorder.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesfall2023/1019/thumbnail.jp

A Manualized Occupational Therapy Communication Skills Module for Clients with PTSD

Individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience a variety of barriers and challenges that impact their daily occupational performance, engagement, well-being, and quality of life. There is a lack of research in the area of manualized occupational therapy (OT) treatment options for people with PTSD. Literature has expressed a need for the development of a manual-based OT treatment program for people with PTSD with communication skills training as an intervention component. The purpose of this project is to create a manualized OT communication skills intervention module for occupational therapists to implement with clients with PTSD for improved occupational performance and quality of life. This project consisted of a intervention module with five sections, one section specifically designed as a module introduction for occupational therapy practitioners, and four intervention sessions related to topics on communication skills.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2024/1056/thumbnail.jp

The Role of Occupational Therapy in Addressing Community Mobility in Children to Young Adults with Disabilities: A Scoping Review

Objective: This study aims to systematically examine and organize current literature describing the assessments, interventions, and other behaviors of occupational therapists used to treat children to young adults with community mobility needs. Gaps in the knowledge will be highlighted to impact future research. Methods: An electronic database search, searching within found literature, contact with driving and community mobility networks and organization were used to identify the relevant literature. Data was extracted and analyzed independently by the investigator by way of finding themes and codes and producing charted data. Results: The total number of studies included in this work was 28. The average number of participants in each study was 50. The data showed that the most common behaviors of OT practitioners in addressing community mobility needs of young people with disabilities were assessment and then intervention. The most common assessment was a driving simulator, and the most common intervention was on-road training. Discussion: The study was limited to studies published in English, lack of published literature on the population and occupation, and access to literature being limited. This study did not require funding.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2021/1016/thumbnail.jp

A Manualized Occupational Therapy Module on Cognitive Defusion for People with PTSD

CD has been identified as a treatment module that should be included in a manualized OT protocol for people with PTSD but had not yet been developed. Thus, the purpose of this capstone project is to create a manualized OT treatment module on CD for people with PTSD.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2023/1052/thumbnail.jp

A Scoping Review on the Role of Occupational Therapy with Breast Cancer Survivors

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer survivors (BCS) suffer from treatment side effects that adversely impact occupation. Occupational therapy (OT) plays a role in the treatment of BCS, however, the literature has not clearly defined the role of OT with this population. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this capstone project was to conduct a scoping review of the literature to clearly define the role of OT in addressing the occupational needs of BCS. METHODS: The scoping review methodology was based upon the 5-stage framework outlined by Arksey and O’Malley (2005). The EBSCOhost search engine was utilized for access to CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, and OpenDissertation electronic databases. The final inclusion was 34 articles. The search results were recorded via PRISMA diagram. Data was extracted via summary table. RESULTS: The majority of intervention implementation included education and application of compensatory strategies, adapting new lifestyle habits, and physical exercise. Additionally, the majority of the interventions provided educational material and applicable activities to address the physical, cognitive, and emotional dysfunction experienced during breast cancer survivorship. CONCLUSION: The current interventions being implemented by occupational therapy practitioners address a limited range of occupational deficits within breast cancer survivorship. Due to the limitations of interventions and barriers being addressed, BCS faced with specific areas of occupational dysfunction are left untreated.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2021/1019/thumbnail.jp