Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. Revue Canadienne D'ergothérapie

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted hospital operations worldwide, including services delivered by occupational therapists (OTs). Purpose. This study aimed to understand the experiences of OTs at one Canadian, tertiary care hospital during the 2021-2022 period of the pandemic. Method. We used a qualitative descriptive approach to describe the experiences of OTs during the pandemic. Findings. While there were similarities in the 10 participating OTs' experiences, salient differences were largely linked to the method of service delivery...

Background. Performance-based outcome measures (PBOMs) are objective measures that assess physical capacity or performance in specific tasks or movements. Purpose. 1) to identify which PBOMs are most frequently reported to evaluate upper extremity (UE) function in pediatric rehabilitation 2) to determine the link between constructs of the ICF and meaningful concepts extracted from each identified PBOM. Methods. Pediatric UE PBOMs were searched in four databases. The selection of outcome measures included an initial title and abstract screening, followed by full-text review of the articles to be included based on identified selection criteria...

Background. Meaningful activity participation has been identified as a key outcome of services designed to support individuals during and following homelessness. Little is known about the effectiveness of interventions for promoting this outcome. Purpose. To identify the range and effectiveness of interventions on promoting meaningful activity participation among persons with experiences of homelessness. Method. We conducted a systematic review using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology following PRISMA guidelines including a critical appraisal and narrative synthesis...

Background. Interest in the use of psychedelics for mental health therapy is burgeoning. Qualitative research methods are increasingly used to understand patient's experiences; however, there is a lack of literature that explores psychedelic use from an occupational perspective. Purpose. To conduct a scoping review of qualitative literature on the experiences of psychedelic use for the purpose of mental health therapy, through an occupational lens. Key Issues. Wilcock's occupational perspective of health was employed to analyze the use of psychedelics in mental health from an occupational perspective...

Background. Persons who experience mental illness also face stigma and discrimination that frequently lead to a loss of ability to exercise autonomy and agency in their lives. Purpose. The range and breadth of literature exploring participatory research with persons living with mental illness are unknown in occupational therapy and occupation science. We initiated this study to fill this gap in the existing occupational therapy and occupational science literature. Method. Using the method of Arksey and O'Malley, we have conducted a scoping review to identify the range and breadth of literature...

Background. Clinical expertise is the mechanism through which practitioners implement other components of evidence-based practice (EBP). Within occupational therapy practice, intervention approaches that are both closely and loosely aligned with Ayres' Theory of Sensory Integration are widespread, offering a unique opportunity to investigate the subjective nature of clinical expertise in EBP. Purpose. This qualitative study explored motivations to offer sensory integration-based interventions, and factors informing occupational therapists' clinical decision making in relation to an arguably contentious evidence base...

Background. Many occupational therapists make home modification recommendations; however, it is unknown if sustainability considerations (i.e., economic, social, and environmental) are contemplated during this process. Purpose. To understand occupational therapists' perceptions regarding the sustainability of home modifications. Method. This study adopted a qualitative description approach. Researchers utilized semistructured interviews as the primary means of data collection. Findings. The ten female occupational therapists interviewed had three or more years of experience working with home modifications...

Background. Public safety personnel (PSP) are frequently exposed to psychological trauma through their work. Evidence shows that worker's compensation claims for work-related psychological injuries are on the rise for PSP. Occupational therapists increasingly provide return to work (RTW) services for this population. Purpose. To explore the therapeutic practices and personal experiences of occupational therapists working with PSP who have work-related psychological injuries. Method. This mixed methods descriptive study included a chart review of available occupational therapy client records from 2016 to 2020 for PSP with work-related psychological injuries from two Ontario companies...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Background. Occupation is the core domain of occupational therapy, and an occupational perspective is foundational for practice. Research has explored how an occupational perspective is taught. Yet, little has explored the Canadian occupational therapy educational context. There are national differences in core competencies and accreditation standards and nuances in how occupation is defined and what conceptual models are used. As such, a Canadian perspective may offer new understandings of value both within and outside of Canada...

Background. Fieldwork is an essential part of experiential learning in occupational therapy education. Fieldwork educators identify limits on reasonable accommodation and difficulty implementing disability-related accommodations. Student occupational therapists with disabilities report discrimination from within the profession, including inflexible fieldwork environments. Purpose. To understand the experiences of occupational therapy fieldwork educators in Canada in accommodating students with disabilities and to develop action-oriented practice recommendations...

Introduction. With technological advancements, anatomy teaching approaches in occupational therapy education have expanded. However, uncertainty remains regarding the approaches that best optimize academic and practice outcomes in student occupational therapists (OTs). Purpose. This scoping review mapped the pedagogical approaches used to teach musculoskeletal anatomy to student OTs. Methods. A scoping review was conducted, with a consultation exercise involving Canadian occupational therapy educators. Six databases were searched, with terms related to student OTs, anatomy, and education...

Background. Current international clinical practice guidelines indicate that children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) should receive therapy, yet school and community-based occupational therapy is not standard of care. Purpose. To understand parent perspectives on best practice for treatment and what supports and services are required to meet their children's needs. Method. An online cross-sectional survey (impACT for DCD) was distributed to parents of children <18 years with self-reported suspected or diagnosed DCD living in British Columbia...

Background. There is a need for the occupational therapy profession to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action and work towards supporting the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. Purpose. (1) To determine the knowledge gaps of occupational therapists about Indigenous health and (2) to create recommendations to address identified gaps and inform responses from the profession. Method. A national needs survey was created and distributed to occupational therapists across Canada to determine the knowledge of occupational therapists about Indigenous health...

Background. Knowledge about the needs of parents with neurological disorders who take care of young children is limited. Purpose. The overall aim of this qualitative study was to explore the perceived unmet parent needs, current supports, and potential solutions to optimize supports of parents with neurological disorders in early childhood in a Canadian setting. Method. Focus groups and individual interviews with parents ( n   =  8), spouses ( n   =  5), rehabilitation clinicians ( n   =  8), community partners ( n   =  7), and researchers ( n   =  7) were conducted with a total of 35 participants recruited using convenience sampling...

Background: Occupational therapy clinical education was disrupted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This introduced both challenges and opportunities in clinical fieldwork education and created a naturalistic opportunity to study the innovations that occurred. Purpose: To identify and describe fieldwork education innovations that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and understand how these clinical learning contexts impacted competency development in occupational therapy learners. Method: A qualitative multi-case study methodology was used...

Background. Grab bars are used to support bathing tasks. Sometimes, temporary rim-mounted grab bars may be preferred over permanent wall-mounted grab bars. Purpose. We compared postural requirements, applied loads, and user perceptions between two configurations of rim-mounted grab bars, a vertical wall-mounted grab bar, and a no-grab bar condition. Method. Ten adults entered and exited a simulated bathing environment. Trunk flexion was evaluated via 3D kinematics, while load cells mounted to the grab bars facilitated the evaluation of applied loads...

Background. Developing strong therapeutic relationships with families is a crucial aspect of pediatric occupational therapy. However, building such relationships is complex as they involve multiple directions of interaction. Purpose. To provide a thorough interpretation of children's, caregivers', and occupational therapists' experience of the therapeutic relationship. Method. A meta-ethnography was realized to synthesize qualitative studies. A systematic search was carried out using five databases from 2005 to 2022...

BACKGROUND.: Recent legislation has expanded the responsibilities of occupational therapists regarding fitness to drive in the Canadian province of Ontario. To date, little is known about the practice of acute care occupational therapy with addressing driving, or how such responsibilities have affected clinical practice. PURPOSE.: The objective of this study was to understand the relevance of driving-related knowledge areas to acute care occupational therapists and examine their self-reported competency for these areas...

Background. Serious mental illness affects daily functioning, including occupational balance. Purpose. This study aims to compare occupational balance and emotional regulation between people with serious mental illness and the healthy population and to examine the relationship between occupational balance and emotional regulation. Method. A cross-sectional study was performed. Occupational balance and emotional regulation were measured using the Occupational Balance Questionnaire and the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire, respectively...