Life After Losing an Adult Child to a Drug Overdose: A Kawa Perspective

Background: Limited research is available to occupational therapy practitioners focusing on parents’ abilities to cope with the loss of an adult child to a drug overdose. We examined the unique experiences of grieving parents from a Kawa model perspective to identify potential implications for occupational therapy. Methods: We used a qualitative approach in which 11 participants completed Kawa drawings and participated in semi-structured interviews. Results: Following a Kawa model analysis themes emerged: volatile nature of flow, support from inner circle and connection with outer circle, lonely islands, personal attributes of positivity and economics, and enhancing my river’s flow. Conclusion: The loss of an adult child to a drug overdose presents health care professionals with a unique set of grieving circumstances, including changes in life roles and abilities to participate in occupations, which can be challenging to address. As a result, this study suggests the Kawa model is an effective assessment tool that should be considered for use when working with those grieving the loss of a child to a drug overdose

The Role of Occupational Therapy in Community-Based Programming: Addressing Childhood Health Promotion

Background: Obesity and poor health habits impact youth’s health and occupational participation. Occupational therapy’s role in preventing and treating obesity continues to emerge in the research literature. This article explores the impact of a community-based program emphasizing health and wellness for female youth. Methods: Five girls 11 to 13 years of age participated in the healthy occupations program. Before and after the program, the participants engaged in an individual semi-structured interview and completed the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure and the CATCH Kids Club Questionnaire. The youth participated in a focus group midprogram. Results: The participants were receptive to information regarding healthy behaviors and initiated positive health behavior changes after implementation of a 7-week healthy lifestyle community- based program. Conclusion: Occupational therapy can collaborate with community partners to provide programming focused on health promotion and prevention as part of the interprofessional approach to preventing and treating childhood obesity and building healthier communities

Perceptions of Older Adults on the Use of an Interactive Video Game in Promoting Health and Well-Being

Background: This study explored the perceptions of older adults on the use of a custom built interactive video game (IVG) in promoting health and well-being among the older adult population. Method: This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach and enrolled 10 older adults over the age of 65 years in a client-centered, custom-built interactive video game program. This program was designed to promote activity tolerance, balance, range of motion, cognitive skills, and enjoyment through physical activity. The participants completed up to 12 Coin Catcher IVG sessions over a 4-week period. A postprogram, semi-structured, and audio-recorded interview explored their perceptions and experiences of the IVG. Results: The participant interview transcripts were individually coded, categorized, and then collapsed into broader themes. The three themes emerged as: I was thinking all the time, it is a good workout, and I thought it was fun. Conclusion: The custom built IVG is perceived by the older adult population to be engaging and meaningful while promoting physical performance

The Feasibility of Taekwondo for Addressing Social Interaction and Social Participation in Children

Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience physical, social, and emotional barriers that impact participation in extracurricular activities, such as taekwondo. Engaging in taekwondo may provide opportunities for advancing social abilities as well as developing health-promoting behaviors and routines. Therefore, the purpose of this feasibility study was to explore the effectiveness of using a form of martial arts, taekwondo, as an intervention to promote social participation in everyday life. Method: A mixed-methods design was used. Three children between 7 and 8 years of age who met the ASD criteria participated in a 7-week taekwondo program. The children engaged in interviews before and after the program. The parents completed the Autism Social Skills Profile-2 (ASSP-2) and completed pre and post interviews. Results: Four themes emerged from the qualitative data: social interactions, physical abilities, community barriers and supports, and intervention feasibility. Overall, the qualitative data highlighted the children’s increased confidence with social interaction, interests in exploring activities, and program satisfaction. Although not statistically significant, the ASSP-2 scores increased for each child after participation in the program. Conclusion: This study suggests that taekwondo may promote self-confidence in social and physical abilities, leisure exploration, and participation in children with social interaction skills deficits

The Impact of Racism and Ethnic Discrimination on Students\u27 Educational Experiences

This study explored how occupational therapy students’ perceptions of racism and ethnic discrimination impacted their educational experiences. Participants included 226 students ages 18-60 years old enrolled in occupational therapy entry-level, post-professional, or assistant programs throughout the United States. Students completed an anonymous web-based survey that included a demographic questionnaire, the Brief Perceived Ethnic Discrimination Questionnaire-Community Version (PEDQ-CV), and open-ended survey questions. Results found that students’ educational performance were negatively impacted by their experiences with racism and ethnic discrimination. While students reported to have experienced racism or ethnic discrimination within the classroom and fieldwork settings, classroom conversations and content related to topics on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and anti-racism were limited. Based on the study’s findings, schools are encouraged to increase these conversations and implement supportive resources for students who have experienced racism and ethnic discrimination. Implications for improved occupational therapy educational experiences for students included recommendations to: a) acquire additional education in DEI-related subjects; b) continue to incorporate more conversations related to topics of DEI, racism, and ethnic discrimination in the classroom and fieldwork settings; c) provide simulated or real-life hands-on opportunities and experiences to work with people of color within the community; d) teach students how to appropriately behave and respond to racism and ethnic discriminatory situations; e) create program curriculums that focus on DEI and anti-racism content; f) host support groups with diverse people to encourage mentorship between students, practitioners, and community members; and g) diversify course content to include images, perspectives, and stories of people of color

Developing an Indigenous, Entry-Level Master’s Degree Program in a Country with an Emerging OT Profession

In the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago the full range of physical, mental, psychological, and socially derived problems of occupational engagement exist. Occupational therapy is often a part of the health care team to address these challenges; however, the profession is at an emergent stage in the country. This paper describes a process used for the development of an indigenous entry-level master’s degree program in occupational therapy. The process was also supported and enhanced by the collaborative relationships among key stakeholders, including global partners. A qualitative design process was used to analyze the health care needs, barriers, and strategies that impact the sustainability of the proposed program. This included 47 survey respondents, 10 semi-structured interviews, and a focus group. The findings led to the development of curricular threads that informed the curricular framework of the program. The curricular framework will safeguard the sustainability of the program and the clinical relevance of its content and methods relative to the community the graduates will serve. Systematic review of curricular design and program outcomes is needed to enhance the intended learning experience of the occupational therapy students

CAF01 Potentiates Immune Responses and Efficacy of an Inactivated Influenza Vaccine in Ferrets

Trivalent inactivated vaccines (TIV) against influenza are given to 350 million people every year. Most of these are non-adjuvanted vaccines whose immunogenicity and protective efficacy are considered suboptimal. Commercially available non-adjuvanted TIV are known to elicit mainly a humoral immune response, whereas the induction of cell-mediated immune responses is negligible. Recently, a cationic liposomal adjuvant (dimethyldioctadecylammonium/trehalose 6,6′-dibehenate, CAF01) was developed. CAF01 has proven to enhance both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to a number of different experimental vaccine candidates. In this study, we compared the immune responses in ferrets to a commercially available TIV with the responses to the same vaccine mixed with the CAF01 adjuvant. Two recently circulating H1N1 viruses were used as challenge to test the vaccine efficacy. CAF01 improved the immunogenicity of the vaccine, with increased influenza-specific IgA and IgG levels. Additionally, CAF01 promoted cellular-mediated immunity as indicated by interferon-gamma expressing lymphocytes, measured by flow cytometry. CAF01 also enhanced the protection conferred by the vaccine by reducing the viral load measured in nasal washes by RT-PCR. Finally, CAF01 allowed for dose-reduction and led to higher levels of protection compared to TIV adjuvanted with a squalene emulsion. The data obtained in this human-relevant challenge model supports the potential of CAF01 in future influenza vaccines

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements