Occupational Adaptation Research Articles

Teaching Occupational Adaptation Using Constructs of the Model

Teaching Occupational Adaptation Using Constructs of the Model

The relationship between community workers' occupational stress, social support and psychological health: an empirical study in Liaoning Province, China.

With increasing urbanization in China, the community has assumed the important task of social governance and service provision, which has resulted in an increase in community workers' occupational stress. To date, researchers have studied ways to improve community workers' working ability, but have paid less attention to their health, especially their psychological health. This study examined the relationship between occupational stress, social support and community workers' psychological health. A total of 545 community workers from 14 cities in Liaoning Province completed a questionnaire including the Occupational Adaptability Scale for Employees (OASE), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) and the SCL-90-R scale (a measure of psychological health). Correlational and regression analyses were conducted. Community workers' occupational stress mainly derives from their workload, career development opportunities and performance appraisals. Participant's psychological health scores were significantly negatively correlated with occupational stress and significantly positively correlated with social support. Social support plays a moderating effect in the relationship between community workers' occupational stress and their psychological health. It is necessary to establish an effective community support system, reduce the burden on the community, optimize existing work processes and performance appraisal system, create a positive working environment and organizational culture, and promote employee's psychological health.

Exploring the Impact of Animal Assisted Interventions on the Occupational Participation of People Living with Dementia

Abstract Background Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) is defined as a goal-directed intervention designed to promote improvement in social, emotional, physical and cognitive functioning (AAII 2020). AAIs are a growing area in dementia research and practice (Lai et al. 2019). There is a significant gap in implementing and researching AAI in a UK context (Fine 2019). Caring for pets and service animals is considered an instrumental activity of daily living (AOTA 2008) and AAI has been shown to enhance the occupational participation of other client populations (Winkle et al. 2012; Herlache-Pretzer et al. 2017; Andreasen et al. 2017). It is unclear what impact AAI has on the occupational participation of people living with dementia (PLWD). Methods Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was proposed to facilitate deep level interpretations of the experience of occupational participation for PLWD who have an assistance dog. Over a two-month period, the researcher proposed to complete four thirty-minute video observations capturing PLWD participating in a chosen occupation in their home environment. The researcher further proposed to maintain a reflexive journal and document notable observations throughout the research process to enhance the development of themes. Results PLWD have the right to access personally meaningful occupations (WFOT 2006). Assistance dogs may have the potential to facilitate positive occupational experiences such as occupational identity, occupational competence and occupational adaptation. Conclusion Occupational therapists who claim to be guided by the principals of client-centred practice (RCOT 2015a) must strive to look beyond traditional interventions to effectively meet the individual needs and preferences of PLWD (Brodrick and Barry 2016). Education and further research (Fine 2019) are required to raise the profile of AAI in a UK context. Future research would benefit from exploring the experience of occupational participation in social environmental contexts for PLWD (who have an assistance dog), to gain whole experiential accounts of this phenomenon.

Career adaptability and correlating factors among secondary vocational nursing students in China.

Career adaptability significantly affects college students' career happiness in the future, and it is essential to make a detailed evaluation of its correlation for making a targeted intervention plan. However, the applicability of occupational adaptability to secondary vocational nursing students is still an unexplored field in academic research. This study aimed to investigate the current situation of career adaptability and its influencing factors on secondary vocational nursing students in medical schools. A total of 1,414 secondary vocational nursing students from three secondary colleges and universities in Southwest China from July 2022 to September 2022 were selected for the survey. A questionnaire was used to assess secondary vocational nursing students' sociodemographic, Career Adaptability, Psychological Control Sources, and the Meaning in Life. Statistical analyses were performed using Pearson's correlation analysis, t-test, analysis of variance and multiple. Secondary vocational nursing students scored (51.03 ± 9.64) for the meaning in life, (81.46 ± 25.39) for psychological control sources, and (94.12 ± 15.55) for career adaptability. Career resilience was significantly and positively correlated with the opportunity and internal control factors of psychological control sources (r = 0.091, -0.488, p < 0.01); and career adaptability was significantly and positively correlated with the sense of seeking meaning and possessing meaning factors of sense of meaning in life (r = 0.725, 0.734, p < 0.01); Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that academic performance, mother's educational level, search for meaning, sense of meaningfulness, opportunities, and internal control entered the regression equation (p < 0.05), explaining 64% of the total variance. The overall career adaptability of secondary vocational nursing students is at a moderately high level, with significant individual differences closely correlated with locus of control, meaning in life, and career adaptability. Nursing educators can provide targeted intervention measures based on influencing factors to promote the development of secondary vocational nursing students' career adaptability, enabling them to better adapt to future clinical work.

The adaptive thermal comfort of individual performance working at home

Eco-friendly architecture (EFA) is a design approach to produce healthy and comfortable buildings. In the pandemic era and in years to come when working from home is a trend, a healthy and comfortable home is crucial because people spend their time at home. Thermal comfort is considered the most significant comfort factor for building occupants, especially at home. This paper reports a study on the relationship between thermal comfort, individual performance, and productivity while working at home. Data was collected qualitatively through observation, heat transfer calculation, and in-depth interviews. This study concludes that a thermally comfortable house that follows the EFA concept is an aspect that influences performance and productivity. However, thermal comfort is not the only aspect related to comfort. Habits and adaptation of occupants to certain conditions also affect comfort, which leads to good performance and productivity. Occupants feel comfortable doing office and household tasks at home due to their adaptation to the surrounding thermal comfort based on their preferences.

What is the occupational impact of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome for adults living in Australia?

Introduction: Occupational recovery for people living with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome requires better assessment and understanding of the occupational impact of this debilitating condition. This study explores the lived experience of Australian adults with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome using the Model of Human Occupation. Methods: The research design was a cross-sectional descriptive study, and participants were recruited via social media to complete an online survey. A Model of Human Occupation Tool, The Occupational Self-Assessment, captured an individual’s perceptions of occupational identity and competence. Results: Results were analysed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests. The free-text responses were summarised. Twenty-nine participants completed the Occupational Self-Assessment. A decrease in occupational participation across all domains was evident. Qualitative themes of loneliness, feeling confined, feeling like a burden and loss of previous life/roles were collated, showing an adverse impact on occupational identity. A lack of independence and control showed a reduction in occupational competence. Conclusions: The study confirmed the impact of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome on occupational identity and competence. These individuals struggled with occupational adaptation and would benefit from occupational support. Occupational therapists could use the Occupational Self-Assessment to identify areas of need, set goals and facilitate better occupational adaptation.

Psychometric evaluation and feasibility of the Persian-Relative Mastery Scale in the caregivers

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the validity, reliability, and feasibility of the Persian version of the Relative Mastery Scale as a measure of the Occupational Adaptation Model in caregivers of people with multiple sclerosis. Method: In a cross-sectional study, after translation, face and content validity, the caregivers completed the Relative Mastery Scale and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Expanded Disability Status Scale for people with multiple sclerosis was reported by neurologist. Also, convergent validity, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and exploratory factor analyses were evaluated. Results: A total of 150 caregivers completed both instruments. Cronbach’s α = 0.852 and ICC = 0.838 were good. The convergent validity of the total Relative Mastery Scale score was confirmed with a significant correlation with Canadian Occupational Performance Measure ( r &gt; 0.67, p &lt; 0.001) and Expanded Disability Status Scale score ( r &gt; 0.34, p &lt; 0.001). The Persian-Relative Mastery Scale was found as a multidimensional instrument with three items that appeared to be redundant. Conclusion: The Persian-Relative Mastery Scale had acceptable reliability and validity for evaluating mastery in Persian-speaker caregivers.

Lifespace and occupational participation following acquired brain injury during driving disruption: a mixed methods study

Purpose To examine the lifespace of participants referred for occupational therapy driving assessment following acquired brain injury, to understand how, why, where and with whom access and participation in community-based occupations is occurring during the period of driving disruption. Materials and methods The mixed methods, convergent research design utilised a travel diary and Lifespace Mobility Assessment-Composite quantitative elements and semi-structured interviews analysed qualitatively with an interpretive description lens. Results Forty-eight participants (56.25% male) aged between 26 and 65 years, left home on average once/day, primarily to conduct instrumental activities of daily living, health management, and social participation community-based occupations. Most reported restricted lifespace (54.2%) requiring assistance to conduct community occupations (68.1%). Support was primarily provided by family members (80.3%). Analysis of semi-structured interviews (n = 15) created three themes that shaped participant occupational experience during driving disruption: (i) changes to occupational participation; (ii) reliance on others for community access and participation; and (iii) trying to move forward. Conclusion The period of driving disruption following the onset of acquired brain injury is a time of occupational disruption which restricts lifespace, changing how, why, where and with whom participation in community-based occupations occurs. Rehabilitation facilitating occupational adaptation process to enhance community access capacity is indicated.

Occupational adaptation of occupational therapists in a global crisis: Lessons learned from a Q-methodology study

ABSTRACT Background: The COVID-19 pandemic demanded that people adapt to meet occupational and environmental challenges. Occupational therapists facing occupational disruption had to adapt to maintain engagement in personal and professional roles. These adaptations highlight occupational science concepts, thus contributing to the epistemology of humans as occupational beings. Aim: A Q-methodology study explored the adaptive responses of South African occupational therapists during early COVID-19 lockdown regulations. Materials and methods: Seventy-eight occupational therapists participated in the study. Data were collected using Q-sorts, where participants ranked 53 statements relating to occupational adaptations. Factor analysis was performed using a Q-methodology platform. Results: Participants’ views loaded onto three viewpoints, namely, occupational adaptation, occupational disengagement, and occupational exhaustion. Sixteen participants did not load onto any of the three themes. Most participants felt they could make a difference whilst others missed interacting with service users. A third group experienced feeling burnt out and numb. The Q-factor analysis explained 30% of the variance representing occupational therapists’ views on occupational adaptation during the pandemic and their ability to engage in occupations. Significance: How occupational therapists applied occupational adaptation to face the challenges during and after the pandemic created tangible lessons for future pandemics or crises such as applying occupational therapy intervention principles to themselves and developing preventative and promotive programmes to influence policy on future pandemic responses. The findings expand the interpretation of occupational science concepts, with contributions to occupational adaptation, occupational disengagement, and liminality. The novel term that emerged from this research, occupational exhaustion, should be further researched.

An exploration into the occupational identity of women following breast cancer and treatment: A qualitative study

Introduction: The number of women surviving after breast cancer is increasing, along with the length of time they are living with the after-effects of treatment. Although the treatment’s effects are known to impact occupational participation, little is known about how breast cancer could affect occupational identity. This study aims to illuminate the lived experience of women long-term after breast cancer treatment through an occupational perspective in order to explore how they perceive their occupational identity. Methods: A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was conducted with six women, who had all received a diagnosis of breast cancer and treatment for longer than a year. Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings: Three intertwined themes describe the participants’ experience. (1) ‘Disruptions in daily life and Environmental support’, (2) ‘Be able to do’ and identity, and (3) ‘Doing what matters and is possible’. Findings revealed that the occupational identities of the participants were maintained. Cancer treatment effects appear to impact occupational competence that corresponded to participants’ occupational identities, suggesting difficulties in the order of occupational adaptation. Conclusion: Our findings contribute to understanding the challenges to occupational participation related to the occupational identity of women following breast cancer and treatment.

Occupational adaptation for adults living with advanced cancer: A phenomenological longitudinal study.

People living with advanced cancer want to continue participating in their valued occupations amid cancer progression. However, increasing dependence and bodily deterioration challenge a person's ability to do so, thus requiring adaptation to how they engage in their occupations. Theoretical frameworks on the process of occupational adaptation often do not address the implications of progressive functional decline. A longitudinal phenomenological design was used to understand the lived experience of occupational engagement for working-aged adults living with advanced cancer. A semi-structured interview series explored participants' experience of occupational engagement and how this changed over time. Data were analysed thematically and mapped against the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO). Eight adults (40-64 years old) participated in 33 interviews over 19 months. Three themes were constructed from the data: ongoing adaptation through doing, the significance of volition in adaptation, and everyday life is contingent on my environment. Study findings demonstrate that the process of adaptation occurs through occupational engagement, is motivated by volition, and is affected by the environment. Volition and the environment play a more central role in occupational adaptation than occupational competency for the advanced cancer cohort. Study findings further MOHO's theoretical conceptualisation of occupational adaptation by identifying the centrality of volition and the environment in the process of adaptation. For people living with advanced cancer, disease progression results in unremitting functional decline, thus rendering competency an unstable and untenable construct. Rather, this paper argues that occupational adaptation is facilitated by volition (i.e., the motivation behind the doing) and the environment, thus fostering a sense of identity and meaning at the end of life. Occupational therapists' awareness of the significance of volition and the environment can thus foster continued occupational engagement and meaning at the end of life for people living with advanced cancer.

Exploring first semester allied health students’ transition to graduate school through the lens of Occupational Adaptation

Exploring first semester allied health students’ transition to graduate school through the lens of Occupational Adaptation

International consensus on occupational therapy interventions for people with palliative care needs: A European Association for Palliative Care Group Concept Mapping study

Background: While evidence shows that occupational therapists can play a key role in the care of people with palliative care needs, more knowledge about effective occupational therapy interventions for this group is needed. Aim: To identify, organise and prioritise intervention components considered to be effective within occupational therapy for people with palliative care needs from the perspective of occupational therapy clinicians, managers and researchers. Design: Group Concept Mapping utilising a mixed methods participatory approach. Using a focus prompt, participants brainstormed, sorted, labelled and rated generated statements about effective occupational therapy intervention components. Multidimensional scaling analysis and cluster analysis were conducted. Setting/Participants: Snowball recruitment was used to recruit participants. Participants included occupational therapists worldwide who were able to read and write in English and were working as clinicians, managers and/or researchers with occupational therapy interventions for people with palliative care needs. Results: Seventy-two occupational therapists from 15 countries participated in the study representing Asia (n = 3, 20%), Europe (n = 8, 53%), Oceania (n = 2, 13%) and North America (n = 2, 13%). A total of 117 statements were identified and organised into five clusters: (1) being client-centred, (2) promoting occupational engagement to optimise quality of life, (3) involving the social and relational environment, (4) enabling occupations and (5) facilitating occupational adaptation. Conclusions: Five clusters of core occupational therapy intervention components were considered to be effective when supporting people with palliative care needs. Research should use this knowledge to inform future occupational therapy interventions for this group of people.

Occupational Therapy Guideline for the management of sequelae of viral diseases with SARS-CoV-2 : Supplement to the S1 guidelines for the management of post-viral conditions exemplified by post-COVID-19

Sequelae of viral disease with SARS-CoV-2 impact clients' biopsychosocial health, thus their daily life, with limitations resp. barriers in their occupational capacities and opportunities. Occupational therapists havenumerous and, with constantly growing evidence, personalisedtherapeutic means, measures, and methods in any intervention phase relevant to these according health problems, supporting i. e. coping, occupational adaptation, quality of life and participatory re-shaping of (daily) life. Based on ongoing research findings and practice evidence, this document contains recommendations for occupational therapy intervention for clients with biopsychosocial health conditions post COVID-19.

Exploring the Impact of Occupational Adaptation-Focused Interventions on Music Student Health

Abstract Date Presented 04/22/2023 This study explored occupational adaptation interventions for playing-related musculoskeletal disorders. Results indicate decreased pain intensity, decreased Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand scores, and increased adaptive capacity among university-level music students. Primary Author and Speaker: Allison Naber Additional Authors and Speakers: Katherine Ericsson

The Child Assessment of Self-Care: Refinement &amp; Development

Abstract Date Presented 04/22/2023 This qualitative descriptive research aimed to determine the wording and final items for the Child Assessment of Self-Care (CAS), a child’s self-report of self-care that addresses the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) construct of occupational adaptation. Primary Author and Speaker: Amy Gibbs Contributing Authors: Patricia Bowyer, Tina Fletcher, Theresa M. Smith, Wyona Freysteinson

Evaluating Psychometric Properties of the Relative Mastery Scale: An Occupational Adaptation Instrument

Abstract Date Presented 04/22/2023 The Relative Mastery Scale shows sound psychometric characteristics, supporting application as an assessment of participants’ perceptions of their internal occupational adaptation. Primary Author and Speaker: Lorrie George-Paschal Additional Authors and Speakers: Nancy E. Krusen

진로전환 경험이 있는 상담교사의 성장에 관한 내러티브 탐구

This study aims to investigate the story about the force in career transition of school counselors and about the growth as school counselors after career transition. For this purpose, three elementary school counselors with experience as part-time subject teachers participated, the data were collected by semi-structured interview, cellphone, text message, and e-mail for about 5 months. The stories were presented in order of experience over time. This study adopted the stage of ‘being in the field, from field to field text, composing field text, from field text to research text, composing research text’. And the career transition process and occupational adaptation process as a school counselors were analyzed according to the narrative inquiry procedure. These stories consisted of the experiences before career transition, and the occupational experiences and the growth after transition. First, the story about the force in career transition showed participants expeirenced the limitations in reality and the needs to become a meaninful person. Their desire to help the students triggered the career transition, and there were the happenstances leading to their positive choices. Second, the living stories as school counselors were composed of the confusion and the struggling in new culture and system owing to career transition. They experienced the emotional exhaustion and difficulties due to unfamiliar school culture, confusion due to ambiguous roles, and lack of awareness of counseling. Third, in the stories of their growth, a lot of efforts to establish the identity by using the previous experiences before transition, forming a cooperative relationship with the educational community, and expanding themselves and professionalism were embroidered. I discussed these stories in the context of personal, practical, and social legitimacy to expand the meaning of these narrative.

Experiences of environmental services workers in a tertiary hospital in Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on all walks of life, in particular, environmental services workers in healthcare settings had higher workload, increased stress and greater susceptibility to COVID-19 infections during the pandemic. Despite extensive literature describing the impact of the pandemic on healthcare workers such as doctors and nurses, studies on the lived experiences of environmental services workers in healthcare settings are sparse and none has been conducted in the Asian context. This qualitative study thus aimed to examine the experiences of those who worked for a year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A purposive sample of environmental services workers was recruited from a major tertiary hospital in Singapore. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in-person, lasting around 30min, and included open-ended questions pertaining to five main domains: work experiences during COVID-19, training and education needs, resource and supplies availability, communication with management and other healthcare staff, and perceived stressors and support. These domains were identified based on team discussions and literature review. The interviews were recorded and transcribed for thematic analysis, as guided by Braun and Clarke. A total of 12 environmental services workers were interviewed. After the first seven interviews, no new themes emerged but an additional five interviews were done to ensure data saturation. The analysis yielded three main themes and nine subthemes, including (1) practical and health concerns, (2) coping and resilience, and (3) occupational adaptations during the pandemic. Many expressed confidence in the preventive efficacy of proper PPE, infection control practice and COVID-19 vaccination in protecting them against COVID-19 and severe illness. Having prior experience with infectious disease outbreaks and previous training in infection control and prevention appeared to be useful as well for these workers. Despite the various challenges presented by the pandemic, they could still find meaning in their everyday work by positively impacting the wellbeing of patients and other healthcare workers in the hospital. Besides uncovering the concerns shared by these workers, we identified helpful coping strategies, resilience factors and certain occupational adaptations, which have implications for future pandemic planning and readiness.

Computer-vision-assisted subzone-level demand-controlled ventilation with fast occupancy adaptation for large open spaces towards balanced IAQ and energy performance

It is essential to retrofit the conventional constant air volume air-conditioning of large open spaces with improved demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) for balanced indoor air quality and energy consumption in the building sector. However, existing improved DCV strategies do not effectively distinguish intensively occupied and less occupied zones and fail to achieve on-demand ventilation of individual subzones. This study thus employes the computer-vision-assisted occupancy detection method and proposes a systemic solution for large open spaces, which enable subzone-level demand-controlled ventilation that can perform fast response to the dynamic occupancy profile of each subzone. The objective is to enhance the subzone-level environment quality with balanced performance of IAQ, thermal comfort and energy consumption. The proposed control strategy has been evaluated in a simulated large open classroom. The results show that, compared to existing direct–CO2–based DCV control strategy, up to 12.22% lower CO2 concentration (1154 ppm by direct–CO2–based DCV, while 1013 ppm by proposed strategy) of occupied subzones can be realized while avoiding unnecessary ventilation for less occupied or unoccupied subzones. When combined with the PMV-based indoor thermal comfort control, the proposed strategy shows cooling load reduction potentials by maximal 49.4% and electricity energy saving by maximal 33.52% when compared to fixed fresh air strategy, and by maximal 15.57% of cooling load reduction as well as by maximal 8.75% of electricity energy saving when compared to direct–CO2–based DCV control strategy.