Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Advancing Mental Health Awareness Among Persons Of Color: An Occupational Therapy Perspective, Irene Rattitham, Cassandra Nelson

Summer 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project aimed to advance mental health awareness among persons of color (POC) residing in a skilled nursing facility by developing and implementing a culturally responsive psychoeducational program. Informed by the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model, trauma-informed care, and mindfulness-based practices, the program addressed barriers such as stigma, limited awareness, and cultural perceptions of mental health. A needs assessment guided the creation of an 8-module curriculum covering topics like emotional regulation, family involvement, and accessing support. Educational materials were translated into Spanish, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese to enhance accessibility. The program was delivered through group and individual sessions, in-service presentations, and …

Following Painting's Quiet Call To Adventure, Kelly Allen

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Yael Goverover, OTR/L, Ph.D., professor and post-professional program director of occupational therapy at New York University at Steinhardt (NYU), provided the cover art for the summer issue of the Open Journal of Occupational Therapy. This oil painting on canvas, titled, Still Life, 2024, features an arrangement of everyday objects with vibrant tones of gold, yellow, orange, and green found in the vase, and a coffeepot, fruits, and botanicals set against a backdrop of scarlet and striped patterned fabrics. She created this piece while on sabbatical in Israel as she studied under the tutelage of a seasoned oil …

A Description Of Mental Health Policies In Ohio Secondary Schools, Laura L. Harris, Molly Rowe

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

OBJECTIVE To compare secondary school mental health policies implemented for the student body with those implemented for student athletes.

Beyond The Flames: Occupational Therapy Approaches To Address Pain Management, Mental Health, And Occupational Engagement In Burn Patients, Mackenzie Mertz

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

This capstone project centered around gaining advanced clinical skills and knowledge, advocating for occupational therapy’s role in burn rehabilitation, and creating education on topics such as pain management and mental health. This project was completed at the Medical University of South Carolina Burn Center with a diverse population throughout the continuum of care and various functional and psychosocial needs. The theoretical framework supporting this project was the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement. Assessment tools included range of motion, manual muscle testing, sensation, a pain analogue scale, and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Clinical skills were gained throughout the …

Occupational Therapy Intervention Program Addressing Mental Health For Student Athletes Navigating Transition And Recovery, Taylor K. Pfrommer

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

This capstone project aimed to develop and evaluate an occupation-based mental health program for student-athletes navigating the transitions in and out of sports. Guided by the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), Occupational Adaptation (OA), and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), intervention sessions contained six one-on-one sessions focused on identity reformation, building adaptive responses, and restructuring a meaningful routine. A mixed-methods approach was used to evaluate outcomes from two participants using the Brief-COPE, Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), satisfaction surveys, and thematic analysis of qualitative feedback. Results indicated growth in self-awareness and emotional expression for both participants. Participant …

Advancing Postpartum Mental Health Services At White River Health, Hannah Crowl

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones

This doctoral capstone project focused on addressing gaps in postpartum mental health care by developing two complementary resources: a comprehensive mental health assessment tool (Maternal Occupational Mental Health Assessment - MOMHA) and an educational manual, both grounded in CBT principles and framed within the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, 4th edition (OTPF-4).

Restoring Connection: Promoting Social Participation & Mental Wellness In A Rural Assisted Living Facility, Madison Rogo

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones

The Doctoral Capstone Project highlights the important role of occupational therapy in addressing emotional well-being and promoting occupational justice within rural assisted living facilities.

The Role Of Ect In Ocd: A 10-Year Review (2014-2024), Mariana Sales, Tainiz Polanco, Amy Nguyen

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects up to 2.5% of the population with significant impacts on everyday functioning and relationships. First-line treatment includes selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and cognitive behavioral therapy; however, studies have found that up to 40-60% of patients do not respond to SSRIs. ECT is an alternative approach that has demonstrated limited efficacy in OCD.

Objective: The current review aims to summarize the results of published work between 2014-2024 to assess the efficacy of ECT in the treatment of OCD.

Methods: A literature review was conducted using eight studies from 2014-2024 to assess the effectiveness of ECT …

Unbridled Healing: Identifying The Barriers Of Equine-Assisted Therapy, Sally A. Hamm

Human Development and Family Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Despite the documented benefits of equine-assisted therapy (EAT) for mental health conditions, this complementary approach remains underutilized. This qualitative study investigated barriers preventing wider EAT implementation by examining challenges faced by clients, facilities, and volunteers. Data collected through open-ended surveys from 33 participants and the researcher's autoethnographic observations revealed eight common barriers: Accessibility (48 mentions), Money (43), Time (30), Awareness (23), Physical Factors (13), Relationships (13), Risk (13), and Weather (7). Clients identified financial constraints as their primary barrier, particularly insurance limitations. Facilitators struggled most with accessibility challenges, including lack of resources, trained staff, suitable horses, and appropriate facilities. Volunteers …

Exercise As An Intervention For Postpartum Depression (Ppd), Kylie P. Mistretta

Honors Scholar Theses

Objective: To illustrate the applications of exercise for preventing the development of postpartum depression (PPD) and addressing associated risk factors identified in the literature. Data Sources: PubMed and EBSCO: Academic Search Premier were accessed using the search terms exercise OR physical activity OR yoga AND postpartum depression OR postnatal depression. A secondary search of PubMed was conducted using the search terms exercise AND pregnancy AND depression OR gestational diabetes OR weight gain OR sleep quality.

Study Selection: Studies selected for inclusion were peer-reviewed, published after January 2012, written in English, and relevant to the PPD risk factors examined. Only clinical …

Impaired Mental Health In Adolescents: Socioeconomically Challenged Geographic Locations, Brittany E. Kunkel

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones

This capstone project aligns occupational therapy strategies with the environmental, social, and institutional contexts that shape adolescent mental health, enabling holistic and culturally responsive interventions that address not only individual needs but also broader systemic influences.

The Inner Blueprint: Unlocking Your 24/7 Potential, Mackenzie Zurcher, Becky King

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Inner Blueprint is a trauma-informed, occupation-based intervention designed to address the complex needs of adolescent girls with histories of trauma, substance use, and mental health conditions. Grounded in occupational science, the program emphasizes the integration of brain function, sensory processing, emotional regulation, and hormonal influence to promote self-awareness, resilience, identity development, self-worth, and functional independence. The intervention incorporates manualized content delivered through interactive group activities, reflective exercises, and routine-based skill building to support gains in emotional regulation, self-concept development, and daily life performance. A central therapeutic emphasis is placed on enhancing interoceptive awareness and empowering participants to recognize that their …

An Ot Program For Amputation Individuals And Their Caregiver, Ashley Hradecky, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Amputation individuals and their caregivers currently lack sufficient education regarding residual limb management, limb positioning, mental health, and phantom limb pain. These gaps in health management skills ultimately result in relationship strains, technology abandonment, and decreased independence. The goal was to develop and implement an educational program for new amputation individuals and their caregivers targeting these topics. Six pairs successfully completed this four-week program, with each pair responding to pre and post surveys. Interventions included lower extremity positioning, prosthetic care management, residual limb management, mirror therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and tactile point discrimination. When comparing the pre and post …

Exploring The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Collegiate Athlete Mental Health Care: A Concept Analysis, Jacquelyn Arnett, Lesley Khan-Farooqi

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Adverse mental health outcomes in collegiate athletes are on the rise in the United States, prompting concerns about the impact of external surroundings on their well-being. Occupational therapy (OT) is a profession that specializes in environmental- and occupation-centered intervention, approaches to mental health care not currently being utilized in collegiate athlete populations. Despite these potential benefits, OT practitioners (OTPs) are not an established member of the care team in current athlete mental health care structures, likely because many stakeholders do not understand the unique services OTPs can offer. Walker and Avant’s eight-stage concept analysis was employed to examine the role …

Road To Recovery: Reboot Recovery, Brooke Gephart

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed in partnership with REBOOT Recovery, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing trauma healing through faith-based, peer-led courses. The purpose of this project was to create content to aid the participants and the leaders of REBOOT to overcome trauma and improve their well-being. Life guides were created to address feelings of anxiety and depression, substance use disorder, and provided education on implementing coping skills to help improve their daily functioning. Educational content was developed for leaders regarding the complexities of overcoming trauma for autistic people and highly sensitive people, to best equip leaders to assist …

Influence Of Collectivist Cultural Values On Occupational Roles And Mental Health Of First-Generation College Students, Guenne Sarmiento, Jazminne Orozco Arteaga

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

First-generation college students (FGCS) from collectivist backgrounds often encounter unique challenges as they navigate academic duties alongside familial responsibilities. These challenges are influenced by collectivist cultural values (CCV), which prioritize family ties, community cohesion, and collective well-being. This capstone project utilizes the Kawa Model to illustrate the supportive and unsupportive factors in the lives of these students, examining how cultural expectations, occupational roles, and mental health intersect. It emphasizes the critical role of occupational therapy in unraveling and addressing these complexities.

Opening The Outdoors: Experiences Of Black, Indigenous, And People Of Color (Bipoc) Adults In Outdoor Occupations To Support Mental Health, Jasmine Reynoso, Amy Lyons-Brown

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This mixed methods study explores the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) adults in exploring and engaging in outdoor occupations to support mental health. Through 15 survey responses and 2 semi-structured interviews, data was collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics and reflective thematic analysis. The findings revealed three overarching themes: Barriers to Outdoor Occupations, Facilitators to Encourage Participation, and Personally Experienced Benefits. Participants explained how outdoor activities contribute to improved mental health, emotional regulation, and a sense of holistic well-being. By addressing the gap in research on nature-based occupations within BIPOC communities, this study highlights the need …

Employee Wellness In Acute Mental Health Settings – An Occupational Therapy Perspective, Ethan Gross, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This poster outlines a doctoral capstone project focused on addressing the holistic factors influencing patient recovery and well-being in acute mental health settings. A comprehensive needs assessment was conducted to identify knowledge gaps, sources of staff stress, and environmental barriers impacting occupational performance. Findings informed the development of a staff-focused program aimed at mitigating stressors and enhancing therapeutic engagement. In addition, a report will be created with evidence-based recommendations for physical environment modifications to support both patient and employee well-being and occupational participation

Lived Experience Of Caregivers Of Individuals Labeled With Schizophrenia, Nicolette C. Hamilton, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of the capstone project was to explore the experience of caregivers of an individual labeled with schizophrenia and create educational materials beneficial to caregivers at partnering site. Caregivers of individuals labeled with schizophrenia can face mental health concerns, such as anxiety, stress, or depression, which may or may not be due to the demands of being a caregiver. The occupational impact of these mental health concerns is noted in literature, but the potential for occupational therapy to address these occupational concerns has not been identified for this caregiver population specifically. The purpose of the project was to learn …

The Neonatal Care Project: Empowering Parents Through Education And Support, Waverleigh Jenkins

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this capstone project was to develop and provide an informational and evidence-based resource for parents to utilize after discharge from the Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital (SJCH) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). An in-depth needs assessment showed a need for increased parental support and better resources to improve parent mental health outcomes due to feelings of unpreparedness following a NICU stay. To support this goal, and in collaboration with the occupational therapy team at SJCH, two informational websites were created, one in English and the other in Spanish. The website is entitled “The Neonatal Care Project” and contains …

Assessing Social Media Experiences Of Young Adults And Its Impact On Mental Functions And Daily Routine Performances, Dominique E. Barron, Lakeisa Boykin

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project is a qualitative research study investigating the relationship between social media and the wellbeing of users.

Support Group Development For The Mental Health Of Parents Of Children With Complex Diagnoses, Sarah G. Bonner, Lakesia Boykin, Dana Madalon

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This presentation covers support group program development for the mental health of parents of children with complex diagnoses. It outlines the need for emotional support, describes the group activities used to promote coping and resilience, and explains how the program was implemented and evaluated using pre- and post-surveys.

Development Of A Mental Health Screening Protocol And Educational Materials For Cares Therapy Clinic, Darlene C. Horn

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

In the United States, 26% of individuals report living with mental illness each year. Those with a disability are 5 times more likely to report symptoms of mental distress. Additionally, underinsured individuals are at increased risk of going undiagnosed and untreated.

A student-run free clinic that provides occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy, and speech therapy services to underinsured individuals implemented a new initiative to screen patients using the Patient-Health-Questionnaire (PHQ) assessment due to the higher risk of undiagnosed mental illness. However, with no dedicated mental health providers on staff, there was a need to develop a standard protocol for students …

Educational Resource Development For College Students With Intellectual & Developmental Disability:A Focus On Adls And Mental Health, Regan Fosmire

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

This Occupational Therapy (OT) Doctoral Capstone project was completed in a university-based Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (IPSE) program serving enrolled students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). These programs offer college students with IDD opportunities in academic learning, independent living, personal development, career training, and social participation. In response to a site needs analysis, this quality improvement project sought to develop educational resources to improve student confidence and preparedness for independent living and mental health education.

The project had two primary goals: (1) to create accessible, evidence-based educational materials to support students’ understanding of mental health and activities of daily living …

A Wellness And Social Engagement Program For Post-Lower Limb Amputees, Graciela Gonzalez, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

A wellness and social engagement program was developed and implemented to provide education relating to the mental health impacts, decrease in health management, and lack of social participation after a lower-limb amputation amongst adults, 18 years or older. The program provided a manual with educational information, external resources, and visual aids to enhance independence in activities of daily living (ADLs).

Influence Of Marching Band Experience On Eating Disorder Risk And Perceived Stress In Collegiate Marching Artists, Kalor Greve, Jaclyn B. Caccese, Matthew P. Brancaleone

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Introduction: Collegiate marching artists face severe and prevalent stressors that may contribute to poor mental health and unhealthy habits. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of sex and years of participation in collegiate marching band on the relationship between eating disorder risk and perceived stress levels. Methods: Marching artists from an NCAA Division I university completed the Eating Disorder Questionnaire-6 (EDEQ-6) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) to obtain disordered eating behaviors and perceived stress levels, respectively. Spearman rank correlations were used to determine the relationship between PSS-10 scores and global and subscale EDEQ-6 scores, …

Scaling New Heights: A Prospective Survey Of Rock Climbing's Impact On Mental Health, Kathy Chen, Swetha Sundaram, David F Lo, Ahmed Gawash, Charalampos Papachristou, Altamash E Raja

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Sport climbing, officially added to the 2020 Summer Olympics, has grown rapidly, with U.S. climbing gyms increasing from 310 in 2013 to 591 in 2021. Over the past decade, European research has identified bouldering as a potential psychotherapeutic treatment for anxiety and depression. Randomized controlled trials have compared bouldering psychotherapy (BPT) to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), showing that BPT produces comparable results and positively impacts mental health.

PURPOSE: There have been very few studies dedicated to the use of rock climbing as a therapy in the United States; further, there are few surveys that investigate whether American climbers would …

Comprehensive Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema Management Programs Addressing Both Psychosocial And Physical Needs: A Scoping Review, Amanda Wheeler, Claudine Campbell, Chenchen Cui

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of female cancer worldwide, which can lead to many negative sequelae, with up to a third of women developing breast cancer-related lymphedema. Breast cancer-related lymphedema requires chronic maintenance and is associated with worse physical and mental health outcomes compared to women without lymphedema. Occupational therapists are well-positioned to address the complex needs of women with breast cancer-related lymphedema. This review aimed to identify existing research that reports outcomes of lymphedema management programs addressing both physical and mental health needs of women with breast cancer-related lymphedema.

Method: A scoping review was conducted …

Holistic Health: A Psychosocial Health And Wellness Program For College Students, Elizabeth C. Fasti

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

The Holistic Health program is a doctoral capstone quality improvement project that aims to increase the quality of life (QoL) and well-being for higher education students and increase staff and faculty knowledge of college students' mental health. Driven through education and program development, the program includes four key action plans. The first action plan was an in-person mindfulness-based program for college students. The second action plan includes a proposal for environmental adaptations to foster a safe and supportive campus environment for students. The third action plan includes expanding ready-to-use wellness and mindfulness resources for higher education students. The fourth and …

Exploring Stress Management Spaces Using Sensory Engagement On College Campuses: A Scoping Review, Karen R. Puckett

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: College students experience high levels of stress, with associated negative outcomes such as poor mental and physical health. In response, colleges and universities have explored the use of stress management spaces designed to address and promote improved mental health and wellbeing, but evidence regarding the most effective design and impact of these spaces is limited.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to conduct a scoping review of the available literature related to stress management in higher education settings. The research questions are: What are the characteristics and design features of these spaces, and how do stress management spaces …