Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Occupational Impact Of Mass Shootings: A Qualitative Study Of Survivor Accounts, Ashley Ellsworth, Susan Macdermott, Bridget Scheidler

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: As mass shootings continue to persist in the United States, their occupational impact on victims needs further understanding. 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.

Method: Unobtrusive methods were used to collect and analyze publicly accessible audiovisual and written records following a qualitative research design. Themes were developed through thematic analysis.

Results: Victims at varying degrees of association to the event experienced changes in their occupational performance, participation, …

From Isolation To Connection: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Older Adults’ Social Participation Using The Cov19-Qol Scale, Kathleen Melei, Jill Linder

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Social isolation during COVID-19 has the capacity to impact older adults’ physical health, mental health, and quality of life. Using an occupational therapy perspective of social participation as an occupation, the current study explores (a) the extent to which social participation (habits/routines) has changed following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, (b) differences in perceptions of social participation in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (c) differences in scores on the COVID-19 Quality of Life (COV19-QoL) scale by demographics, access to health care, and lifestyle routine.

Method: Community-dwelling adults (N = 230) 65 years of age or …