Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Integrating Occupation-Based Activity Groups In The Earlyelementary School Setting, Krista Rae Weiland

Occupational Therapy Capstones

In the early-elementary school curriculum, foundational skills are established to promote success in education and beyond. With limited remediation opportunities in the areas of fine motor and social skills, students are not receiving adequate resources to foster academic success. Students who demonstrate deficits in fine motor and social skills are prone to negative peer and teacher perception, a lack of self-esteem, decreased mental flexibility, and an inability to communicate knowledge effectively (Case-Smith et al., 2014; Lust & Donica, 2011; Taverna et al., 2020). These adverse consequences often result in a negative attitude towards school and low academic performance, which may …

How Adaptive Sports Promote Occupational Engagement And Quality Of Life For Individuals With Disabilities In A Rural Community, Michael Helgeson

Frank Low Research Day Posters

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project is to address the barriers individuals with physical disabilities face through the development of adaptive sports programs; hereby, increasing their occupational engagement, quality of life (QOL), and life satisfaction.

Background: Individuals with disabilities, compared to the general population, have diminished health and QOL due to limited community participation and occupational engagement (Yazicioglu et al., 2012). Adaptive sports have shown to increase QOL and well-being for individuals with physical disabilities (Brown et al., 2021; Yazicioglu et al., 2012). Although, this population, specifically in rural communities, face many barriers to adaptive sports engagement including …

Program Structure For Children And Adolescents With Disabilities To Increase Participation In Physical Activity, Abbigail Smith

Frank Low Research Day Posters

Background: Children and adolescents with disabilities face barriers and are often excluded from engaging in daily activities such as physical activity and social participation (Bundy & Du Toit, 2019; Hocking, 2019). Activities such as physical activity and social participation not only increase children's and adolescents' sense of belonging, mental health, and quality of life but also impact the development of skills needed to fully engage in society (Bundy & Du Toit, 2019). Opportunities for children and adolescents with disabilities to engage in physical activity and social participation are commonly seen in the form of programs supported by nonprofit organizations. These …

An Occupation-Based Approach To Chronic Pain In Rural Alaska, Emma Lehman

Frank Low Research Day Posters

Background: Adults with chronic pain living in rural communities experience occupational deprivation due to a lack of access to healthcare resources and tend to report higher levels of pain compared to urban areas [4, 8]. Chronic pain is multifaceted and managed by many professionals. Occupational therapy (OT) has a significant role in offering effective strategies to improve quality of life, self-efficacy, and daily functioning for those who experience chronic pain [5, 7].

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to advocate for the profession of occupational therapy within rural Alaska areas as well as develop an evidence-based, model-driven, culturally …

Submitting Research Grant Applications To Fund A Study Examining The Effect Of Equine-Assisted Therapy On Compassion Fatigue In Caregivers, Briana Minette Kent

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Caregivers are expected to provide the best care possible to their patients, no matter the circumstances. Depending on the need of the individual being cared for, a caregiver’s job can cause an abundance of stress at various levels and can even lead to decreased mental health. This is often accompanied by a lack of self-care, poor health, and overall diminished wellness, otherwise known as compassion fatigue. Occupational therapists can address poor mental health due to compassion fatigue in caregivers by introducing a variety of important skills, habits, routines, and activities that patients need or want to engage in on a …

Fostering A Loving Connection: A Foster Parent’S Toolkit For Understanding And Addressing Behaviors For Children Placed In Out-Of-Home Care, Emily A. Knust

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Children placed in out-of-home care have an 80% chance of having a mental health diagnosis or experiencing negative behaviors related to trauma experiences (Armstrong-Hiemsoth et al., 2020). Children in foster care have been exposed to trauma by being removed from their biological parents and the abuse, neglect, or unsafe conditions that occurred leading up to the removal and placement in out-of-home care (Bartlett, 2021). From this trauma, a child is more likely to experience difficulty with basic self-care skills, executive functioning, emotional regulation, attachment disorders, or positive interactions and relationships within the foster home and their environment (Pervis et al., …

The Impact Of Trauma On Occupational Performance For People Experiencing Homelessness, Isabella Jeanette Johannes

Occupational Therapy Capstones

People transitioning from homelessness experience trauma at three times the risk than the general population (McCurry, 2021). Occupational therapy can provide trauma-informed services that helps people that have experienced homelessness transition to supported housing by addressing occupational competence and identity formation through meaningful activity (McCurry, 2021). Occupational therapy can address this area by educating staff and students that work with this population to be more trauma- informed. It is important to utilize a trauma-informed approach to avoid retraumatization to people that have experienced homelessness (AOTA, 2021). There were two purposes of this project: a) develop advanced knowledge in trauma-informed care, …

Primitive Reflex Screening And Caregiver Education And Support. A Product To Support Children With Retained Primitive Reflexes Transitioning Into The Formal Education System., Anna Justine Logan

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Infants are born with movement patterns called primitive reflexes. Primitive reflexes are active for approximate times during the first few years of life (Smet et al, 2020; Myott et al., 2016). Retained primitive reflexes are primitive reflexes that have not integrated in the expected time. Retained primitive reflexes have been linked to a variety of developmental delays in older children including fine and gross motor (Gieysztor et al., 2018a), visual (Andrich et al., 2018), and academic performance (Feldhacker et al., 2021; Calvin & Ramli, 2020).

Trauma-Informed Behavioral Health Leadership And Employee Engagement At A Child Advocacy Center, Andrew Krantz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee engagement is essential for an organization to meet its mission and vision. When employees are not engaged, there are higher levels of turnover, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout. Furthermore, when employees are not engaged, there is a decrease in the quality of patient care. Behavioral health leaders can positively impact employee engagement by engaging in trauma-informed behavioral health leadership. This qualitative case study reviews the impact of trauma-informed behavioral health leadership on employee engagement at a large Child Advocacy Center in the northeastern United States who was struggling with low levels of employee engagement and high levels of turnover …

Admission Timing, Age, Sex, Pain, And Disability As Outcome Predictors Of Short-Term Pain Programs, Nanesha Courtney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that age, sex, education level, and pretreatment pain levels may be significant predictors of patient outcomes; however, it remained unknown whether the timing of treatment predicts pain and disability after a multidisciplinary short-term intensive pain treatment program. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to use archival data to examine whether the timing of entry into a multidisciplinary short-term intensive pain treatment program predicted pain and functioning levels at posttreatment. Glasser’s choice theory was used to examine whether the combined effect of pretreatment pain, occupational disability level, age, sex, education level, and time of entrance predicted …

High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation For Upper Extremity Rehabilitation In Moderate-To-Severe Ischemic Stroke: A Pilot Study, Jordan N Williamson, Shirley A James, Dorothy He, Sheng Li, Evgeny V Sidorov, Yuan Yang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Previous studies found that post-stroke motor impairments are associated with damage to the lesioned corticospinal tract (CST) and hyperexcitability of the contralesional cortico-reticulospinal tract (CRST). This proof-of-concept study aims to develop a non-invasive brain stimulation protocol that facilitates the lesioned CST and inhibits the contralesional CRST to improve upper extremity rehabilitation in individuals with moderate-to-severe motor impairments post-stroke.

Methods: Fourteen individuals (minimum 3 months post ischemic stroke) consented. Physician decision of the participants baseline assessment qualified eight to continue in a randomized, double-blind cross-over pilot trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05174949) with: (1) anodal high-definition transcranial direct stimulation (HD-tDCS) over …

Lived Experiences Of American Adults Who Survive Covid-19: Implications For Physical Activity And Interpersonal Stress, Linda B. Piacentine, Hannah C. Barbosa, Kristin Haglund, Lauren Opielinski, Sandra K. Hunter, Paula E. Papanek, Marie K. Hoeger Bement, Norah L. Johnson

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction: The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases has surpassed 579 million globally. Symptoms during and after COVID-19 infection vary from mild cold symptoms to severe multisystem illness. Given the wide range of symptom presentations and complications post COVID-19, the purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience of American adults surviving COVID-19.

Method: This study employed an exploratory qualitative description design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 35 individuals, [white (94%), female (71%), mean age = 43.7 years], with proximity to a university in an urban Midwest American city. Interviews occurred between May and …

Psychological Readiness In Injured Student-Athletes When Returning To Sport, Samantha J. Burelle

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The physical component of recovery is pertinent to success in sport performance, yet there has been an increase in awareness of psychological symptoms and psychological distress experienced by injured athletes. Thus, the psychological aspect of injuries and return to sport (RTS) process cannot be ignored. Psychological readiness (PR) is described by Podlog et al. (2015), Donald (2019), and Podlog et al. (2022) as a dynamic psychological process including factors of realistic expectation, confidence, motivation, and focus. PR addresses the psychological component necessary for a successful RTS. Measurement tools have been developed to assess PR, yet not all factors of PR …

Black/African American Men’S Lived Experiences Of Workplace Colorism Bullying, Dr. Benjamin K. Spady Ph.D

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying in the U.S. workplace is an ongoing issue that transcends industry boundaries due to perpetrators’ ineffectiveness in viewing all coworkers as equals. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis study was to explore the lived experiences of Black/African American men who endure workplace colorism bullying. Critical race theory provided the conceptual framework, which labeled racism as an omnipresent systemic force. Semistructured interview data were collected from six Black/African American men who resided in the United States and who were bullied in the workplace within the past 20 years. Data were coded via open coding to discover themes. The …

Level I Fieldwork: Could Simulation Be The Answer? A Descriptive Study, Darla Coss, Stephanie De Sam Lazaro, Katelyn Brady

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This article describes the creation and outcomes of simulation as Level I Fieldwork for entry level graduate occupational therapy students. The simulations were created by a team of interprofessional educators following the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning best practices. Additionally, the simulations were designed to meet the student learning outcomes of Level I Fieldwork. Students participated in eight high-fidelity simulations and were evaluated with self-ratings, peer ratings, and faculty ratings. Each student completed a student evaluation of the fieldwork experience, with rating scales and open-ended questions to understand student perceptions of the experience. The vast majority of …

Gender Career Stereotypes, Implicit Bias, And Occupational Therapy, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck, Carli Friedman

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Implicit (unconscious) gender bias and stereotypes can affect clinical decisions and interactions between healthcare professionals, as well as impact careers. However, there is no research exploring the implicit gender bias or stereotypes of occupational therapy students or practitioners. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the gender-career bias of occupational therapy students. To do so, occupational therapy students (n = 54) from three Midwestern United States graduate occupational therapy programs completed the gender-career attitudes implicit association test (IAT) – biases associating women with family, and men with career – as well as a survey polling demographic information. …

Effects Of Mckenzie’S Neck Exercise On Pain, Craniovertebral Angle, Strength And Endurance Of Deep Neck Flexor Muscles, And Disability In Individuals With Chronic Neck Pain, Sawita Chaiyawijit

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Purpose: To compare the effectiveness of McKenzie’s neck exercise and cranio-cervical flexion (CCF) exercise on strength and endurance of deep neck flexor (DNF) muscles, pain, disability, and craniovertebral angle (CVA) in individuals with chronic neck pain. Methods: Forty individuals with chronic neck pain were randomly allocated to the McKenzie’s neck or CCF exercise group. Each group performed exercises at home daily. The strength and endurance of DNF muscles were measured at baseline, immediately after the first exercise session, and each week follow-up for six weeks. Average pain over the past week was measured at baseline and each week follow-up for …

Effects Of A Game On A Smartphone (“Pilotgold”)To Prevent Non-Specific Neck Pain Among Office Workers:A 6-Month Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial, Natchanon Intipanya

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of a smartphone game for active neck movement exercise on perceived neck discomfort, new onset neck pain, and active cervical range of motion (ROM) among high-risk office workers. Methods: A 6-month prospective cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 100 healthy but high-risk office workers from nine organizations. They were randomly assigned at the cluster level into either the intervention group (n = 50), who received a smartphone game to play twice a day on workdays for 6 months, or the control group (n = 50), who received a placebo seat pad to use while sitting. …

Comparison Of The Effects Of Dynamic Seat Cushion At Low Back And Buttocks On The Number Of Postural Shifts And Body Perceived Discomfort In Office Workers, Narumon Roynarin

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study compared the number of postural shifts and body perceived discomfort while leaning and sitting on air-filled seat cushion for 1-hour in healthy office workers. Sixty office workers typed a standard text at a computer workstation for an hour in three sitting conditions: leaning on a seat cushion placing behind the low back, sitting on a seat cushion placing under the buttocks, and sitting without a seat cushion (a control condition). The number of postural shifts, average pressure (AP), peak pressure (PP), and frequency of sitting posture were collected using a seat pressure mat device. Body perceived discomfort at …

Moving Toward And Accessing Adult-Oriented Rehabilitation Therapy Services For Adults With Lifelong Disabilities: A Tale Of Three Studies, Catherine Gohrband

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

The aim of this dissertation was to explore how adults with a Lifelong Disability (LLD) access and experience rehabilitation therapy services across their lives. Many LLD diagnoses such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida are considered non-progressive; however, there are common challenges that occur as people with LLD become adults, including increased pain, fatigue, and functional loss. Literature addressing the needs of people with LLD to access adult-oriented medical providers has focused primarily on medical transitions, which have described the processes for pediatric patients moving to adult-oriented settings from pediatric settings. Few studies have addressed the rehabilitation therapy needs of …