Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Determining The Effectiveness Of Functional Task Assessments Used To Improve Quality Of Life For Older Adults With Parkinson’S Disease., Kate L. Westphal, Brooklyn L. Wiest, Jordyn M. Wolff

Critically Appraised Topics

This critically appraised topic focuses on the role of occupational therapy in ascertaining the effectiveness of specific functional assessments in improving the quality of life of older adults with Parkinson’s disease.

Effects Of Occupation Based Interventions Related To Play And Leisure For Minimization Of Post-Concussion Or Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms In Adolescents: A Critically Appraised Topic, Anneka Harris, Melody Mackenzie, Emmy Miller

Critically Appraised Topics

Occupational therapy has a vital impact on healthcare providing a holistic approach to care with the goal of improving quality of life, increasing participation in meaningful occupations, and speeding up the recovery process for a variety of health conditions. In concussion management, occupational therapy professionals play a critical role on the multidisciplinary team, understanding the important interaction between the athlete, occupation, and the environment (Andreas et al., 2021). Even though the target population for this critically appraised topic (CAT) is adolescents, athletes (those who experienced a sports-related concussion) comprise most of the studies due to the prevalence of sports-related concussions. …

Exploring Occupation-Based Sleep Interventions For School-Aged Children Experiencing Homelessness: A Critically Appraised Topic, Aspen Delano, Joslynn Sauer, Emily Vieth

Critically Appraised Topics

Sleep is a crucial component of healthy neurological development throughout childhood. According to Suni (2023a), elementary school-aged children between the ages of 6 and 12 experience sleep deprivation when they obtain less than 9 hours of sleep per night. Contie (2022) found that children experiencing insufficient sleep had more mental health and behavioral challenges than those who had sufficient sleep. Additionally, Contie (2022) found that children experiencing sleep deprivation had less gray matter and volume in their brains. This impacts cognitive functioning, specifically decision-making, conflict-solving, working memory, and learning. The brain undergoes critical development of the basal ganglia, ganglia-thalamus-cortex circuit, …

Cat Part Iv: Occupational Therapy Interventions To Support Upper Extremity Spasticity In Older Adults Following A Stroke, Mary Redlin, Allie Reiffenberger, Shannon Ring, Aubrey Rude

Critically Appraised Topics

This critically appraised topic focuses on interventions for improving hand functions in activities of daily living (ADLs) for elderly adults who have chronic upper extremity spasticity following a stroke. For the purpose of this critically appraised topic, the focus will be on the elderly population, defined as being age 55 and older; research indicates stroke is most prevalent in this population (Mayo Clinic, 2022). When considering a particular theory, the Ecology of Human Performance (EHP) is the most suitable model for our focus question (Dunn, 2017). The Ecology of Human Performance is focused on the person and environment to increase …

Effectiveness Of Occupational Therapy’S Role In Promotion Of Role Fulfillment With Aviation Students In Higher Education Who Are Experiencing Mental Health Conditions, Payton O. Schilke, Olivia G. Schoffstall, Lexi K. Smith, Gracie J. Stimac

Critically Appraised Topics

This critically appraised topic paper focuses on occupational therapy’s role and the interventions for improving the mental health of aviation students in higher education. Aviation students are higher education student pilots learning to become pilots within various roles. Stress and fatigue among students in higher education are prominent problems (Beiter, 2015; Kalmakis et al., 2021). The focus on aviation students for this critically appraised topic paper reveals the unique stressors relating to flight training that is added on top of the normal academic stress load that university students face (Robertson & Ruiz, 2010). Due to these stress factors, the mental …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Natural Disasters, Olivia A. Dobrinz, Elise N. Gapp, Jocelyn R. Kirk

Critically Appraised Topics

This critically appraised topic paper (CAT) focuses on interventions for improving individuals’ quality of life and occupational participation following a natural disaster. Described within this CAT are the impacts on individual’s occupations following a natural disaster, the quality of life for individuals, and occupational therapy’s role in improving an individual’s quality of life and occupational participation.

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Addressing The Intersectionality Of Veterans Who Are Chronically Homeless, Mental Health, And Sleep Deprivation, Maci Bakken, Abby Eken, Morgan Halliday

Critically Appraised Topics

Currently, there are interventions available for rest and sleep for the general population. However, those interventions do not usually address the unique needs of the population of veterans who are homeless with mental health disorders. While there is information on the person, environmental, and occupational factors surrounding this topic separately, there is limited literature regarding how to address all of these factors when they transact with each other. The purpose of this critically appraised topic paper is to examine the impacts that being a veteran, having a mental health disorder, and being homeless have on sleep deprivation as well as …

Usefulness Of Kinesiotaping For Children Experiencing High Tone And Spasticity As A Symptom Of Cerebral Palsy, Hailey Koep, Hailey Mcguire, Claire Meyer

Critically Appraised Topics

This critically appraised topic focuses on the use of Kinesiotape for improving occupational engagement for children and adolescents experiencing high tone or spasticity related to the diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy treated in the outpatient setting. To develop a better understanding of the different factors in question, Cerebral Palsy and Kinesiotape are first addressed, then the impacts on the quality of life in children with CP, and finally, occupational therapy's role in the use of Kinesiotape and treatment of CP.

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Transition Process For Young Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Hannah Tanous, Mckenzie Ulrich, Alexis Walther

Critically Appraised Topics

This critically appraised topic (CAT) focuses on occupational therapy’s role and best practice in assisting families with young adults that have developmental disabilities in making the transition out of the home into the community, secondary education, or supported independent living. The transition experience is unique to each individual, as there are both supports and barriers to the process.

Effectiveness Of The Use Of Kinesiotape For Adults With Elbow Tendinosis In Reducing Pain To Promote Engagement In Occupations, Natasha Minar, Kinley Nordin, Kaitlyn Peterson

Critically Appraised Topics

This critically appraised topic paper focuses on the use of kinesiotape for adults experiencing chronic pain associated with elbow tendinosis that greatly influences their ability to engage fully in their meaningful occupations. Adults with elbow tendinosis may experience decreased functional mobility due to pain from their diagnosis (Eraslan et al., 2017; Karlıbel & Aksoy, 2022; Shakeri et al., 2018), thus decreasing their overall quality of life and well-being. In this paper, pain associated with elbow tendinosis, the effectiveness of kinesiotape compared to alternative interventions, and the role of occupational therapy in promoting engagement in meaningful occupations will be discussed. Kinesiotape …

Examining Occupational Therapists’ Role In Providing Client-Centered Care For School-Aged Children In The Educational Setting With Visual Impairment, Nicole Gentry, Skye Gross, Alyssa Hammon, Angela Mossman-Larson

Critically Appraised Topics

In a foundational statement outlining the profession’s belief regarding the needs of the pediatric population with visual impairments, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) stated children with visual impairments “benefit significantly from coordinated and comprehensive services to enable them to learn to use their remaining vision more efficiently and use nonvisual methods to complete activities” (Warren & Nobles, 2011, p. 2). According to Warren and Nobles (2011), individuals can have two types of visual impairments: cortical visual impairment and ocular visual impairment. Cortical visual impairment (CVI) deals with affected areas of the brain that limits visual processing, whereas ocular visual …

The Impact Of Sensory Deprivation And Sensory-Based Intervention For Incarcerated Adults Over The Age Of 65, Kyara G. Crowley, Connor N. Fuchs, Sydney L. Johnson

Critically Appraised Topics

This critically appraised topic (CAT) focuses on sensory-based interventions for improving the quality of life for older adults who are incarcerated in the United States. There are many aspects to this topic; sensory deprivation in the prison system is addressed first, followed by the importance of sensory-based interventions, and finally the relationship between occupational therapy and quality of life.

The Role Of Occupational Therapists Working With Adolescents With Mental Health Conditions In The Juvenile Justice System, Angelina M. Caron, Madalyn M. England, Mattea J. Johnson

Critically Appraised Topics

This critically appraised topic paper focuses on interventions for improving adolescents' mental health status to promote engagement in occupations in the JJS. With many factors to consider, adolescent demographics and previous contexts were described first, then the impact that mental health programs in the JJS have on adolescents' mental health was reviewed. Finally, occupational therapy’s role in improving occupational engagement through addressing mental health was investigated.

Telehealth Benefits In Rural Areas: Occupational Therapy, Grant E. Tolkkinen, Grace K. Torgerson, Kaitlyn J. Wanner

Critically Appraised Topics

This paper focuses on the efficacy of occupational-based interventions administered via telehealth within a rural-dwelling adult (18 years and older) population with mental health conditions. The main factors to consider in this scenario are the mental health services in rural areas, the features of the rural population, and the role of occupational therapy (OT) and telehealth in rural mental health. The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework defined health management as “activities related to developing, managing, and maintaining health and wellness routines, including self-management, with the goal of improving or maintaining health to support participation and other occupation” (AOTA, 2020, p.32).

Family-Centered Care For Preschool Children With Disabilities, Kaylee Athmann, Ashley Freund, Rachel Koenig

Critically Appraised Topics

The purpose of this critically appraised topic paper was to define family-centered care, to look at family-centered care through the model of EHP, and to show the unique role occupational therapy plays in family-centered care. More specifically, we aimed to find the effects of family-centered care on health management. While family-centered care has been cited as beneficial by occupational therapists, there is a gap in these services being provided to preschoolers with disabilities.

Effective Occupational Therapy Interventions For Reducing Parental Stress In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Ann Landreville, Annah Greenmyer, Makayla Murden

Critically Appraised Topics

John et al.’s (2018) study found that over half of the mothers in the NICU suffer from moderate to severe anxiety. This anxiety negatively impacts parents’ abilities to engage in the occupation of caring for their child, which can have long-term consequences. Currently, there is a lack of research on occupational therapy-specific interventions that focus on reducing parental stress in the NICU setting. The purpose of this critically appraised topic (CAT) is to discover which stress-reducing occupational therapy interventions have a positive impact on the abilities of parents to successfully care for their infants in the NICU.

Efficacy Of Educational Programs For Homeless Adults With Mental Illness, Madison Herbeck, Samantha Proctor, Bailee Scheer

Critically Appraised Topics

Homeless adults continually face occupational deprivation. There is a lack of reimbursement for occupational therapy community-based interventions (Gutman, 2021). This critically appraised topic aims to explore how educational programs will impact and influence positive occupational engagement and quality of life for homeless adults with mental illness.

Effectiveness Of Executive Functioning Interventions Among Homeless Elementary Aged Students, Julia Warmack, Abby Jessen, Taylor Koopmeiners

Critically Appraised Topics

Elementary-aged children who are homeless face challenges in the areas of self-regulation, working memory, attention, and time management (Wanger-Fuhs et al., 2014). Currently, there is a lack of research on homeless elementary-aged children and the influence occupational therapy can have on their academic success. Specifically, there is no comprehensive source that details the effects of the role of occupational therapy interventions on executive functioning skills such as self-regulation, working memory, attention, and time management for the population of homeless elementary-aged school children. The purpose of this CAT paper was to determine the effect of occupational therapy interventions that focus on …

Effectiveness And Availability Of Occupational Therapy Interventions For Improving Quality Of Life For Families Dealing With Virtual Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic And Substance Use Issues, Madison Christian, Alexis Lehmann, Hannah Steckler

Critically Appraised Topics

Currently, there is an overall lack of evidence examining the effects of occupational therapy interventions to enhance families’ quality of life while dealing with virtual learning in school-aged children and the impacts of substance use on parents. The purpose of this critically appraised topic is to determine the availability for immediate use and the quality of occupational therapy interventions for improving the quality of life for families with school-age children dealing with school issues and virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically with parents who are also experiencing substance use issues

The Link Between Occupational Therapy Interventions, Quality Of Life, And Social And Leisure Participation In Adults With Chronic Conditions, Katie Deboer, Callie Kleindl, Monicah Nyakoe

Critically Appraised Topics

The focus population for this critically appraised topic (CAT) was adults aged 18 years and older with chronic conditions. For this CAT, chronic conditions included depression, heart diseases, diabetes, arthritis, respiratory diseases, chronic kidney disease, neurological disorders, and cancers. Chronic conditions greatly impact a large majority of the older adult population. Of the adult population, about 80% had at least one type of chronic condition while close to 70% had two or more (National Council on Aging, 2021). Diving deeper, the prevalence of chronic conditions in adults 65 years and older varied by race/ethnicity. According to Lim et al. (2018), …

How The Physical Long-Haul Symptoms Of Covid-19 Influence Occupational Performance From A Person-Environment-Occupation Perspective: A Critically Appraised Topic, Emmalee Burtsfield, Amber Matlock, Alyssia Pucel

Critically Appraised Topics

An increasing number of adults continue to experience the long-term physical effects of COVID-19. Currently, there is uncertainty regarding the best practices in occupational therapy to address long-haul COVID-19 symptomology and its effects on people as research on the topic continues to emerge (Robinson et al., 2021). The purpose of this critically appraised paper is to identify prominent areas on which occupational therapists should focus during evaluation and intervention planning while considering the person, environment, and occupation to encompass the ideals of best practice when working with adult clients who are facing disruptions as a result of long-haul COVID-19 symptoms.

Identifying The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Pediatric Palliative Care Team For Pediatric Cancer Patients, Rudessa Bedonie, Hannah Gianan, Riley Thomas, Kennedy Tooke

Critically Appraised Topics

What is the role of occupational therapy in providing effective intervention during palliative care for pediatric cancer patients and their families during the transition to the end of life?

Effectiveness Of Occupational Therapy Services On Quality Of Life Among Chronically Homeless Mothers With Children, Stephanie Dullum, Caitlyn Fussy, Cierra Jacobson

Critically Appraised Topics

Chronically homeless mothers face many challenges with their quality of life due to trauma, mental illness, substance abuse, and stress that impacts the person, their environment, and occupations. Currently there is a lack of occupational therapy interventions for improving the quality of life for this population. The purpose of this critically appraised topic is to address the role of occupational therapy within the population of chronically homeless mothers and how it can improve their quality of life.

Intervention Strategies To Combat The Impacts Of Covid-19 On Adolescents Mental Health: A Critically Appraised Topic, Rylie Garner, Lauryne Griego, Kailey Squier, Jamie Steinhoff

Critically Appraised Topics

Does sensory modulation and physical activity as an occupational therapy intervention improve mental health outcomes in adolescents resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic?

Occupational Therapy’S Ability To Address Perceived Stress Levels In Caregivers Of Individuals With Dementia, Kjerstin Drugan, Molly Van Drehle, Jadalyn Wagner

Critically Appraised Topics

Caregivers of individuals with dementia face unique challenges that affect their ability to participate in their occupations and maintain low-stress levels (Armstrong et al., 2019; Chiao et al., 2015; Cooper et al., 2010; Delgarno et al., 2021; Franzosa et al., 2019; Gleason & Miller, 2021; Lloyd et al., 2019; Madruga et al., 2020; Piersol et al., 2017; Sterling et al., 2021; Yong et al., 2020). Evidence has supported the benefits of occupational therapy intervention for caregiver well-being (Burgess et al., 2021; Lloyd et al., 2019; Raj et al., 2021; Sztramko et al., 2021; Yong et al., 2020). In this critically …

Interventions Addressing Social And Leisure Participation For Adults With Musculoskeletal Chronic Pain, Kady Locke, Emily Ray, Josie Sylte

Critically Appraised Topics

FOCUS QUESTION:

P - Adults 18-90 years of age

I - Exploration of most effective OT programs and interventions

C - Musculoskeletal chronic pain

O - Improved participation in social and leisure activities

What are the most effective occupational therapy interventions to improve social and leisure participation in adults aged 18 to 90 who experience chronic musculoskeletal pain?

The Benefits Of Habituation Altering Occupational Therapy Interventions To Improve Engagement In Adls And Iadls For Adults With Chronic Pain, Alexis Brolsma, Aleece Durbin, Casidi Pullar

Critically Appraised Topics

Adults experiencing chronic pain have difficulties performing ADLs and IADLs, consequently lowering their quality of life. Current research supports multiple interventions used by occupational therapists when working with adults with chronic pain, however, there is no primary intervention identified (Andrews et al., 2018; Guy et al., 2019; Guy et al., 2020; Nielsen et al., 2021; Schmid et al., 2019; Simon & Collins, 2017). The purpose of this CAT paper is to determine how beneficial occupational therapy interventions are at changing habits and routines (habituation) of adults (18+ years of age) with chronic pain in improving engagement in ADLs and IADLs.

Occupational Therapy In Palliative Care: Incorporating Meaningful Occupations And Education Programs For Occupational Therapists, Emily Geissler, Mariah Herring, Katya Kivi

Critically Appraised Topics

Based on the literature reviewed for this critically appraised topic (CAT), end-of-life care has become a more popular setting, and healthcare workers are beginning to see the need for occupational therapists. Due to the undefined role of an OT in this setting, it is difficult for the client to be provided with the best care that increases their quality of life near death, as well as inadequate training for how to address intervention. The issue found within palliative care is that clients are not provided the opportunity to engage in the meaningful activities that bring them joy. The purpose of …

Interventions For Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis To Increase Quality Of Life And Motivation In Activities Of Daily Living And Instrumental Activities Of Daily Living: A Critically Appraised Topic, Erin Ferebee, Makenzie Kroupa, Makayla Tucker

Critically Appraised Topics

PICO:

P: Adults with a chronic condition of Rheumatoid Arthritis

I: Programs and interventions most effective to improve participation in ADL & IADL

C: Motivation levels & QOL

O: Increased participation in ADL & IADLS

Focused Question - What occupational therapy (OT) intervention approaches are best for Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients struggling with motivation, quality of life, as evidenced by the ability to participate in ADLs and IADLs?

Effectiveness Of Early Intervention Programs Addressing Mental Health Issues Caused By Long-Haul Covid-19 In Older Adults, Grace Kleinvachter, Lauren Fischer, Kelsey Rajewsky

Critically Appraised Topics

Lannigan & Tyminski (2021) shared that occupational therapy practitioners are ready to address the many complications that COVID-19 has caused, including emotional issues, by encouraging engagement in healthy occupations in their day-to-day lives. Occupational therapists have specific skills to combat these issues, help others reclaim their occupational identity, and improve quality of life (Lannigan & Tyminski, 2021; Wilcox & Frank, 2021). Symptoms of long-haul COVID-19 have greatly impacted the valued occupations of those over 50 years old, leading to an occupational justice need for further investigation. Occupational therapists should then use that knowledge to understand the degree of impact the …