Occupational Therapy Commons^™

The Occupational Impact Of Mass Shootings, Ashley Ellsworth, Susan Macdermott, Becki Cohill, Karen Park

Summer 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: As mass shootings continue to persist in the United States, their occupational impact on victims needs to be understood. The psychosocial and physical tolls of mass shootings have been investigated, but research related to the occupational impact was not found.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine stories shared by survivors of mass shootings to determine whether changes in occupational participation, performance, and fulfillment of meaningful roles and performance patterns occurred following the incident.

Methods: The question "What is the occupational impact of mass shootings on exposed individuals in the United States?" was asked. A qualitative research …

Promoting Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury Awareness Within The Domestic Violence Community, Christina Debowski, Heather Javaherian, Karen Park

Summer 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Brain injury has been shown in research to decrease individuals’ ability to participate in their meaningful activities by negatively impacting their cognitive, emotional, and physical systems. Recent research has begun to indicate that survivors of domestic violence (DV) are at extreme risk for experiencing partner inflicted brain injury (PIBI)--brain injury that results from the physical violence of a survivor's intimate partner. However, despite the prevalence of PIBI within the DV community, research shows that survivors and DV service providers alike are not aware of how PIBI can impact survivors' daily life and wellbeing.

Purpose: The purpose of this project …

Promoting Awareness And Healing In Persons In Mental Health And Addiction Recovery In Middle Tennessee, Savannah Rain Flint

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed in partnership with Healing Arts Project, Inc., also known as HAPI. HAPI exists to fill a gap in recovery and rehabilitation services by providing free art supplies and art classes at partnered facilities, by providing art exhibition and publication opportunities for HAPI program participants, and by participating in outreach events throughout the year. These opportunities help spread awareness and inclusivity of mental health and addiction recovery within the community and helps artists to externalize their personal struggles, thoughts, and feelings through various creative outlets.

My project focus was to increase community awareness of HAPI …

Occupational Therapists’ Perspectives On Working In Mental Health Roles, Holly Phillips

Occupational Therapy: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Occupational therapists working in mental health settings face a multitude of challenges to practice, including role blurring, generic roles, lack of support, and a lack of community, yet continue to pursue these positions. The current literature primarily highlights these barriers and discusses the under utilization of occupational therapists in mental health. Despite these challenges, occupational therapists are still holding prominent roles in this area and the question remains of why these therapists are continuing to pursue these roles and how they are creating meaning in their work. For this research, interviews were conducted with occupational therapists currently working or who …