Participation In Meaningful Activities Research Articles

Effectiveness of an occupational self-analysis intervention through a mobile application (OcupApp) in people with anxiety or depression: a randomised controlled trial protocol

The main objective of this protocol is to understand the effectiveness of the use of a mobile application (OcupApp) to generate a personal self-analysis about meaningful activities in a population of adults aged between 50 and 70 years with low or moderate depression/anxiety. A randomised study will be carried out comparing the effects of the use of the OcupApp application with a control intervention on health-related quality of life, mental health, frequency of participation on meaningful activities, and perceived occupational balance. This is the first study to use occupational self-analysis in m-health to improve occupational balance, mental health, frequency of participation in meaningful activities and health-related quality of life. The app was co-created with a population whose characteristics are similar to those of the target users, and it was tested in both the intervention itself and the presentation, thus it is expected to be effective. Trial Registration Number: Clinical Trial B1-2020_25

Effectiveness of Interventions for Meaningful Activity Participation in Homelessness: A Systematic Review.

Background. Meaningful activity participation has been identified as a key outcome of services designed to support individuals during and following homelessness. Little is known about the effectiveness of interventions for promoting this outcome. Purpose. To identify the range and effectiveness of interventions on promoting meaningful activity participation among persons with experiences of homelessness. Method. We conducted a systematic review using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology following PRISMA guidelines including a critical appraisal and narrative synthesis. Findings. Of 12,343 titles and abstracts screened, we included 12 studies. The authors of the included studies primarily used standardized measures of meaningful activity engagement. Critical appraisal scores ranged from 50.0 to 77.8. The most common interventions evaluated in the included studies were psychosocial interventions (n = 6; 50.0%), followed by case management and housing support interventions (n = 4; 33.3%) and Housing First (n = 2; 16.7%). While several interventions demonstrated effectiveness in promoting meaningful activity participation including psychosocial and case management interventions, Housing First, Critical Time Intervention, and a peer support intervention were found to be ineffective for promoting engagement in meaningful activity. Conclusion. Few intervention studies have been conducted that demonstrate effectiveness for promoting participation in meaningful activity for individuals during and following homelessness. Occupational therapy researchers and practitioners can build on existing evidence by developing and evaluating novel approaches by co-designing interventions in collaboration with persons with experiences of homelessness and service providers.

Leisure, community, workforce participation and quality of life in primary and secondary caregivers of autistic children.

Parents of Autistic children often modify their participation in leisure, social, and employment activities to meet the caregiving needs of their child. However, few studies have examined the impact this has on caregiver quality of life (QoL). The aim in the current study was to examine the role of participation in a range of activities on QoL amongst primary and secondary caregivers of school-aged Autistic children. Eighty-eight primary (93% mothers) and 63 secondary (91% fathers) caregivers of Autistic children (aged 7- to 12-years) participated in this cross-sectional study, with time pressure, participation, social support, parenting stress, and QoL measured via an online questionnaire. Compared to secondary caregivers, primary caregivers reported fewer employment hours, increased time pressure, less participation in desired activities, and higher perceived responsibility of domestic and child-rearing tasks. Similar levels of leisure frequency, parenting stress, and QoL were identified by both caregivers. Hierarchical regression revealed caregiver participation as important for QoL in both primary and secondary caregivers. However, when measures of caregiver well-being were added to the model, the unique contribution of participation to QoL was reduced, particularly for secondary caregivers. Overall, the findings demonstrate that despite differences in caregiver roles and responsibilities, participation in meaningful activities was important for QoL in all caregivers.

An Interoception- Based Intervention for Improving Emotional Regulation in Children in a Special Education Classroom: Feasibility Study

Interoception supports the ability to notice, interpret, and react to internal sensations and impacts emotional regulation and participation in meaningful activities. This study aimed to expand evidence regarding the efficacy of a 7-week intervention based on The Interoception Curriculum: A Guide to Developing Mindful Self-Regulation in improving interoception and emotional regulation. We purposefully sampled middle-school participants (N = 9) with several diagnoses from a special education classroom. Self-report and teacher-report measures on interoceptive awareness and emotional regulation were collected before and after implementation of the interoception intervention. Statistically significant correlations were seen between the interoceptive awareness and emotional regulation and improvements in interoceptive awareness and emotional regulation were found following the intervention. In a small one group pretest/post-test design, a seven-week intervention based on the interoception curriculum demonstrated feasibility of this approach for children in a special education classroom and outcomes showed that interoceptive awareness and emotional regulation could improve after participation in this intervention.

An example of conducting participatory action research within the Living Lab in Ageing and Long-Term Care: Developing, evaluating, and implementing a reablement training programme

Demand for long-term care is rising, because of the aging of the population and the increase in chronic and degenerative diseases. Both community and institutional care services are facing challenges, not only caused by aggregated care needs but also through technological and related health care innovations. At the same time, the number of well-trained staff is decreasing, partly due to a negative image of care provision within the field of geriatrics. Innovations that address the changing needs and demands of the future are highly warranted and there is a strong need to develop and implement evidence-based practice and technology. Unfortunately, it may take on average up to 17 years before scientific knowledge is adopted in daily practice, and there is not a strong tradition of scientific research in long-term care. The result is that older people and their families, health care professionals, policy makers, and educators do not benefit sufficiently from new advancements and best available evidence.
 In this oral paper a model for a sustainable and successful interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists, care providers, and educators in long-term care will be presented: the “Living Lab in Ageing and Long-Term Care” by Maastricht University in the Netherlands. It is a structural collaboration between academia, educational institutions, long-term care providers and clients. It covers approximately 185 long-term care facilities (e.g. nursing homes, assisted and group living facilities) as well as professional home care, and includes about 50,000 clients and more than 27,000 staff. Their mission is to contribute with scientific research to improving i) quality of life of older people and their families; ii) quality of care and iii) quality of work of those working in long-term care. Key working mechanisms are the Linking Pins and interdisciplinary partnership using a team science approach, with great scientific and societal impact. For 25 years this structural collaboration has served as an infrastructure that drives scientific research in long-term care in co-creation with end-users, including older people and their relatives, health care professionals, policy makers and educators. More recently, the model of the living lab is replicated in other countries such as the UK, Belgium, Germany and Austria.
 After a brief description of the living lab, the collaboration between academia, educational institutions, long-term care providers and clients will be illustrated by introducing the “Stay Active at Home” study. In this study a reablement training programme for home care staff is developed, evaluated and implemented. The programme aims to teach home care staff how to stimulate clients’ autonomy and participation in meaningful daily activities. Finally, the symposium will end with suggestions how to replicate the model of the Living Lab in Ageing and Long-term Care in other places.

Use of Social Media Data Mining to Examine Needs, Concerns, and Experiences of People With Traumatic Brain Injury.

Given the limited availability of topic-specific resources, many people turn to anonymous social media platforms such as Reddit to seek information and connect to others with similar experiences and needs. Mining of such data can therefore identify unmet needs within the community and allow speech-language pathologists to incorporate clients' real-life insights into clinical practices. A mixed-method analysis was performed on 3,648 traumatic brain injury (TBI) subreddit posts created between 2013 and 2021. Sentiment analysis was used to determine the sentiment expressed in each post; topic modeling and qualitative content analysis were used to uncover the main topics discussed across posts. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on injury severity, chronicity, and whether the post was authored by a person with TBI or a close other. There was no significant difference between the number of posts with positive sentiment and the number of posts with negative sentiment. Comparisons between subgroups showed significantly higher positive sentiment in posts by or about people with moderate-to-severe TBI (compared to mild TBI) and who were more than 1 month postinjury (compared to less than 1 month). Posts by close others had significantly higher positive sentiment than posts by people with TBI. Topic modeling identified three meta-themes: Recovery, Symptoms, and Medical Care. Qualitative content analysis further revealed that returning to productivity and life as well as sharing recovery tips were the primary focus under the Recovery theme. Symptom-related posts often discussed symptom management and validation of experiences. The Medical Care theme encompassed concerns regarding diagnosis, medication, and treatment. Concerns and needs shift over time following TBI, and they extend beyond health and functioning to participation in meaningful daily activities. The findings can inform the development of tailored educational resources and rehabilitative approaches, facilitating recovery and community building for individuals with TBI. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24881340.

THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON INFORMAL CAREGIVERS OF PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA IN THE POST-VACCINATION ERA

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted individuals living with dementia and their family care-partners. Prior to the pandemic, many family care-partners had insufficient support to manage stressors and experienced resultant negative physical and mental consequences. Systematic reviews of studies from the early pandemic suggest that circumstances dramatically worsened for family care-partners’, though it is unclear whether and how they were impacted by ongoing fluctuations in COVID-19 risk for infection and safety guidelines following the availability of vaccines. Using qualitative design informed by a stress-and-coping theoretical framework, our objective was to characterize the ongoing impact of the pandemic on family care-partners of persons living with dementia. We used purposive sampling to recruit participants from a larger survey study of dementia caregiving during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study participants (n=18) completed a 1-hour virtual interview with that was transcribed, de-identified, and analyzed using thematic analysis. We identified 4 overarching themes characterizing family caregivers’ stressors that included: 1) changes in care, routines, and support; 2) actual or feared COVID-19 infection; 3) changes in the functioning and health of care-partners and care-recipients; 4) experiences with care facilities care transitions. We also identified 4 overarching themes characterizing care-partners’ coping strategies, including: 1) care-partner resourcefulness; 2) participation in meaningful, enjoyable, and restorative activities; 3) personal outlook and attitudes to reduce distress; and 4) connection with specific formal and informal supports. Our findings underscore the continued challenges that family care-partners experience and highlight important skills, supports, and resources to mitigate negative health outcomes and other long-term consequences.

Capturing multiple assistive technology use and its impact in later life: lessons learned from distinct measurement approaches

Purpose Assistive technology (AT) use is prevalent in older adulthood and can accommodate activity difficulties to support well-being. However, within the context of multiple activity difficulties and multiple technology use, it is unclear how to best assess their combined effects on older adults’ health outcomes. This study proposed four distinct approaches to quantify multiple AT use and examined their respective impact in later life. Material and methods Using data from the 2015 round of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (n = 6,936), we compared four indices to summarize the state of multiple AT use among the U.S. older population: binary, item-specific, cumulative, and accommodative. Separate regression analyses tested the impact of each index on older adults’ well-being and restricted participation in meaningful activities. Results In 2015, 59.9% of the respondents were identified as AT users. Among these users, 53.8% reported using two or more technologies when performing daily self-care and mobility activities. The implications of multiple AT use for health outcomes varied across the four indices. Approaches that captured elements of person-technology fit provided the most nuanced and actionable insights on the benefits of using AT to support well-being. Conclusions ATs were commonly adopted by older adults in everyday activities. Overall, findings suggest that there are multiple approaches to conceptualize the independent, cumulative, or balanced effects of multiple AT use. Each measurement approach has unique implications for understanding the impacts of using ATs on older adults’ health outcomes.

"It's Incapacitated Me in so Many Ways": Older Adults' Lived Experience With Postoperative Symptoms at Home After Major Elective Surgery.

This qualitative study aimed to explore the challenges faced by older adults regarding the postoperative symptom experience after major elective surgery. Although extensively studied in oncology settings, the impact of postoperative symptom burden remains largely underexplored in elective major surgery among older adults. We employed convenience sampling to recruit adults aged 65 years or above undergoing major elective surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. Semistructured interviews regarding the surgical experience were conducted at 1 and 3 months postoperatively. An inductive qualitative approach was used to identify emerging themes. Symptoms revealed by participants during interviews were also captured. Nineteen participants completed a 1-month postoperative interview, and 17 additionally completed a 3-month interview. Three themes emerged: (1) postoperative symptoms significantly impacted valued life activities and psychosocial well-being, (2) participants felt "caught off guard" by the intensity and duration of postoperative symptoms, and (3) participants expressed the need for additional support, resources, and education on symptom management. The most frequently mentioned symptoms were postoperative pain (n=12, 63.1%), gastrointestinal discomfort (n=8, 42.1%), and anxiety/stress (n=8, 42.1%) at 1-month postsurgery compared with pain and depression (both n=6, 35.3%) at 3 months. Study participants were surprised by the negative impact of postoperative symptoms on their psychosocial well-being and ability to engage in valued life activities. Symptom burden is an important patient-reported outcome that should be assessed postoperatively. Interventions to minimize postoperative symptom burden in older adults could optimize quality of life and participation in meaningful activities during surgical recovery.

P47: Impact of the FindMyApps intervention on Social health in community-dwelling people with dementia: results from a randomized controlled trial

Background:Most frequently felt needs in dementia concern maintaining self-management and participation in meaningful activities. E-health interventions may support these aspects of social health but few have undergone large-scale evaluations. The effectiveness of the FindMyApps intervention, an app selection tool and tablet training, designed to support people to find and use tablet apps that meet their needs and interests, was evaluated.Methods:A non-blinded, single-centre, randomized controlled trial and process evaluation were conducted in the Netherlands between January 2020 and November 2022. Participants were community-dwelling people with mild dementia (MMSE <26 and >17) or mild cognitive impairment, and their informal caregivers. FindMyApps was compared with digital care as usual (normal tablet computer and general advice). Data regarding primary outcomes (self-management and social participation of the person with dementia, sense of competence of the caregiver) and secondary outcomes (including quality of life) were collected with standardized instruments at baseline and after a three months intervention period. ANCOVAs were conducted on post-test outcome measures, corrected for baseline scores, to investigate group differences.Results:Data collection was completed in November 2022 and analyses are underway. Of 150 dyads randomized, 128 completed the three-month follow-up (64 experimental, 64 control). Results of ANCOVAs investigating the effect and effect size of FindMyApps on the primary and secondary outcomes at three months, will be reported, as well as results of post-hoc analyses that explored the effect on outcomes of: previous tablet experience and education level of participants; observed use of the FindMyApps app; and reported adherence to recommended frequency of tablet use.Discussion and conclusions:Results of this study will indicate whether FindMyApps is an effective intervention for supporting social health of people with mild dementia and MCI. Comparisons with previous studies of FindMyApps and other digital interventions for social health in dementia will be drawn and implications for professionals, concerning implementation of FindMyApps, and for researchers regarding further development, translation and evaluation of FindMyApps discussed. Finally, establishing feasibility and utility of randomized controlled trials in this field, the results of this study will set the bar for future evaluations of eHealth interventions in general.

User experience and analytics inform the development of an innovative telehealth curriculum: ROAD MAP (Recovery-Oriented Approach to Dementia through Meaningful Activity Participation)

Objective:To user-test a recovery-oriented, clinician-facilitated, web-based, self-management intervention accessible via mobile device: ROAD MAP. The initial programme theory underlying this research is that supporting the experiences of CHIME (connectedness, hope and optimism, identity, meaning in life and empowerment), in persons living with dementia (PLWD) will have health-promoting benefits for the PLWD.Method:The intervention will be delivered to 20 dyads of community-dwelling PLWDs and their carers via a five-week, online, recovery-based curriculum. Five convenience-sampled occupational therapists (OT) will be trained online in a 10-hour training programme to deliver the intervention. All data collection instruments are informed by realist evaluation (RE) methodology and enquire into initial programme theories (IPTs) used to develop the curriculum and the ROAD MAP digital tool. Data collection, between January and March 2023, will occur during both the OT training and the five-week pilot study. The OT facilitators will provide qualitative feedback on the ROAD MAP technology. Data will be collected via pre-post self-completion forms, semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and weekly guided reflective journal. PLWD’s self-reported, user experience will be live polled within the weekly one-hour long sessions of the pilot. Their digital usage analytics will be generated by the MyGuide platform on which the ROAD MAP intervention is built. These data will be manually screened for IPT relevance and used to test emerging programme theories.Results:All data will be collected by end of March 2023 and analysed by end of May 2023. NVivo will be used to generate refined programme theories according to RE methodology. This will provide evidence of plausible, causal context-mechanism-outcome configurations which may optimize the refined version of the ROAD MAP digital intervention, curriculum and facilitator training methods.Conclusion:This study will increase knowledge of a methodology for developing useable and acceptable recovery-oriented telehealth tools for PLWD. This intervention could directly enhance the education of health care professionals and improve the equitable delivery of dementia services.

MEANINGFUL ACTIVITIES AND MEANING IN LIFE IN SOUTH KOREA: BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS SATISFACTION AS AN EXPLANATORY MECHANISM

Introduction – The self-determination theory implies that autonomy, relatedness, and competence might influence the extent to which one perceives his/her life is meaningful. In addition, we examined whether the level of engagement in meaningful activities is subject to the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, which in turn is likely to form perceptions on a meaning in life. Methods – To address these questions, we analyzed survey data that is collected from South Korean adults at the individual level in March of 2023 (N=36). I conducted t-tests and a zero-order correlation before working on the serial mediation analysis. PROCESS macro model 80 is used to analyze serial meditation mechanisms including exposures to meaningful activities, basic psychological needs satisfaction, engagements in meaningful activities, and meaning in life. Results – The serial mediation model discovers two significant paths involving that higher levels of sense of autonomy have increased perceptions on a meaningful life. Also, once individuals regularly participate in meaningful activities, a sense of relatedness is shown to be enhanced. Discussion – This research can contribute to the study of public health by suggesting that beneficial psychological effects of engagement in meaningful activities have subsequent social implications through an increased sense of belongingness. More one senses autonomy, the more likely hold meaningful life perceptions. Participation in meaningful activities has to do with an increase in a sense of relatedness. Conclusion – Autonomy has a significant direct effect on meaningful life perception, which corroborates satisfaction with autonomy plays an important role in the South Korean population’s well-being. By designing initiatives is likely to enjoy greater levels of satisfaction in a sense of relatedness, implying an improved sense of belongingness to one’s network, including their neighborhood and society. Keywords: meaningful activities, autonomy, relatedness, competence, meaning in life.

“Be ready to learn”: a qualitative study of the patient perspective of falls and fall prevention following discharge from a spinal injuries unit

Purpose Falls following a spinal cord injury (SCI) can have physical and psychological consequences, although some risk of falls may be acceptable to enable participation in meaningful activity. The study aimed to explore the patients’ perspective of falls and fall prevention after discharge from a inpatient spinal injuries unit. Methods An interpretive descriptive approach guided the study. Semi structured interviews were conducted in the 6–12 months post discharge period. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and identify themes. Results Fifteen individuals with SCI, with a mean age of 57 years and varied fall experiences were included. Three themes were identified including: 1. Expectation of falling; 2. Learning from my own experience and the experience of others’ and 3. How to prevent falls. Learning from their own experience and the experience of others was highly valued by persons with SCI and influenced expectations of falls. A variety of strategies were used to prevent falls. Conclusions Strategies that include learning from others, include activities that are individual and provide skills in self-reflection may aid to make fall prevention meaningful. Implications for Rehabilitation Patients want to learn from practical experience and the experience of others with spinal cord injury (SCI). Clinicians need to consider patients’ readiness to receive education and could benefit from the inclusion of peers in the delivery of information/education provided. A shift of focus for clinicians providing fall prevention education to skills in risk assessment, self-reflection and ability to formulate fall management plans may be beneficial to patients with SCI. Patients appreciate demonstration of skills. Clinicians are encouraged to learn wheelchair skills when performing functional tasks and demonstrate them to add credibility to their fall prevention education.

Disentangling the Consequences of Systemic Racism and Clinical Paranoia to Promote Effectiveness of a Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Persecutory Delusions in Minoritized Individuals: A Case-Example

While everyone experiences threats, some threats are culturally specific and not universally recognized or addressed by providers. A prominent example is threat-based worry and hypervigilance in Black Americans and other minoritized individuals, which is higher due to systemic racism and increases risk for psychopathology like clinically significant paranoia. To date, there have been no adaptations of cognitive-behavioral therapies for Black Americans with psychosis, despite the long-standing history of systemic racism in the United States, and its increasingly recognized contribution to psychotic experiences. Accordingly, we present the first step towards developing an adapted cognitive-behavioral intervention for Black and minoritized Americans with psychosis. This adaptation of an empirically supported worry-based treatment for persecutory delusions was accomplished by comprehensive conceptualization and integration of how systemic racism and minoritization drive the prevalence and perception of threats. This contrasts with conceptualizing racism-related hypervigilance and cognitions as worry or ignoring these critical experiences altogether, which is invalidating and neglects optimal identification and intervention on behavioral targets. Using a validating and normalizing approach, the individual was able to identify how frequent threats related to systemic racism resulted in increased worry, vigilance, and distress. By identifying and intervening on the perception of threat and associated worry, the individual engaged in more helpful responses to the threat, which in turn increased participation in more meaningful activities and reduced worry and clinical paranoia. This case illustrates how accurate conceptualization clarifies behavioral targets and increases patient engagement, which together enhance the effectiveness of the intervention for minoritized individuals.

The importance of context—a qualitative study exploring healthcare practitioners’ experiences of working with patients at home after a stroke

BackgroundStroke significantly impacts individuals, leading to the need for long-lasting rehabilitation and adaptation to environmental demands. Rehabilitation after stroke is increasingly performed in patients’ homes, and it is argued that rehabilitation in this context is more person-centred and positively impacts client outcomes. However, the role of environmental factors in this process is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to explore how multidisciplinary healthcare practitioners working with rehabilitation in the home after stroke consider possibilities and challenges in the environment and how environmental factors are documented in patients’ records.MethodsEight multidisciplinary healthcare practitioners working with home-based rehabilitation after stroke participated in two semistructured focus group sessions. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcripts of recorded focus group discussions. Data were also collected from patient history records (N = 14) to identify interventions to increase patients’ opportunities to participate in activities inside and outside the home. These records were analysed using life-space mobility as a conceptual framework.ResultsThe analysis generated four overarching themes concerning possibilities and challenges in the environment: (1) the image of rehabilitation conflicts with place, (2) the person in the home reveals individual needs and capabilities, (3) environmental characteristics influence the rehabilitation practice, and (4) the person is integrated within a social context. The patient record analysis showed that most patients were discharged from hospital to home within four days. Assessments at the hospital mainly focused on basic activities of daily living, such as the patient’s self-care and walking ability. Also at home, the assessments and actions primarily focused on basic activities with little focus on participation in meaningful activities performed in different life situations outside the home.ConclusionsOur research suggests that one way to improve practice is to include the environment in the rehabilitation and consider the person´s life space. Interventions should focus on supporting out-of-home mobility and activities as part of person-centred stroke rehabilitation. This must be supported by clear documentation in the patient records to strengthen clinical practice as well as the communication between stakeholders.

Social participation of adults aging with long-term physical disabilities: A cross-sectional study investigating the role of transportation mode and urban vs rural living

BackgroundAdults aging with long-term physical disabilities (AAwPDs) experience barriers in the built environment that can hinder their participation in meaningful social roles and activities. However, interventions addressing built environment barriers to participation for AAwPD are limited. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to examine how the built environment and other socioenvironmental factors influence the social participation of AAwPD to inform future interventions and service provision. We hypothesized that social participation would be significantly different between AAwPD using private versus public transportation and living in urban versus rural areas. MethodsThis cross-sectional study of 331 Missouri-dwelling AAwPD reports findings on relationships among transportation mode, urban versus rural residence, and ability to participate in social roles and activities using PROMIS measures. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) explored differences in social participation across transportation mode and residential location. Linear regression examined associations among socioenvironmental factors, individual factors, and social participation. ResultsThe MANCOVA demonstrated significant differences in social participation across transportation mode and urban versus rural residential location. Specifically, AAwPD using paratransit and living in urban areas reported significantly higher social participation than rural-dwelling individuals and private transportation users (p < .001). The linear regression revealed that individual factors served a larger role in predicting social participation than built or social environmental factors. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that transportation mode plays a significant role in shaping social participation outcomes for AAwPD. However, compared to built and social environmental factors, individual factors (i.e., physical function, ‘aging-with-disability’ symptoms) may restrict social participation more.

Community-based physical activity promotion confers broad-spectrum benefits for military veterans with chronic and complex conditions: evidence from 4 years of rehabilitation consultant referrals

IntroductionVeterans experience a high incidence of chronic and complex health conditions requiring a holistic approach to health and well-being. The Adapted Physical Activity Program (APAP) is a theory-based programme developed...

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on meaningful activity engagement in racially and ethnically diverse older adults.

Participation and active engagement in meaningful activities support the emotional and physical well-being of older adults. In 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic altered lives, including the ability to participate in meaningful activities. This study compared meaningful activity engagement before and at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in a nationally representative, diverse sample >65 years between 2015 and 2020. We described the proportions and characteristics of National Health and Aging Trends Study participants and their engagement in four activities: visiting friends or family, attending religious services, participating in clubs/classes/other organized activities, and going out for enjoyment. We used mixed effects logistic regressions to compare probabilities of activity engagement before 2020 and in 2020, adjusting for age, sex, functional status, income, geographic region, anxiety-depression, and transportation issues. Of 6815 participants in 2015, the mean age was 77.7 (7.6) years; 57% of participants were female; 22% were Black, 5% Hispanic, 2% were American Indian, and 1% were Asian; 20% had disability; and median income was $33,000. Participation in all four activities remained consistent between 2015 and 2019 and declined in 2020. Significant differences existed in attending religious services (p < 0.01) and going out for enjoyment (p < 0.001) by race and ethnicity, before and after the start of COVID-19. Black and Hispanic participants experienced the largest decline in attending religious services (-32%, -28%) while Asian and White participants experienced the largest decline in going out for enjoyment (-49%, -56%). Potential quality of life tradeoffs should be considered to a greater extent in future pandemic emergencies.

A scoping review of social media use as a form of engagement among people with dementia

AbstractBackgroundThere are an estimated 50 million adults living with dementia worldwide, a number that is projected to triple by 2050 (Patterson, 2018). Because there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, maintaining and supporting quality life are among the most important care targets. Engagement in meaningful and purposeful activities is a cornerstone of quality of life, however opportunities for participation in meaningful activities can be limited for people with dementia (Wenborn et al., 2008). Although social media has the potential to be a source of engagement and connectivity for people with dementia, there is little known about the impacts of social media use on engagement‐related outcomes in people with dementia.MethodTwo databases (PubMed and PsychINFO) were searched from 2000 through November 12st, 2021 for English‐language articles with search terms relating to dementia and social media in the title. The search returned 23 articles after removal of duplicates with 7 selected for inclusion into the review.ResultAlthough there has been an increase in the scholarly exploration of using social media as a tool or raising awareness about dementia and providing a space for connection for carers, there is little research examining social media use in people with dementia. The research that does exist has primarily explored Twitter use and people with early‐onset dementia. Themes that emerged from the articles reviewed included 1) social media use as a tool to counter loss of identity, 2) social media as a forum for support following a diagnosis, 3) a need for greater accessibility, 4) the presence and lack of consideration regarding safety and privacy risks, and 5) dementia activism as a source of engagement and purpose.ConclusionThe potential for social media to be a tool for social engagement for people living with dementia is relatively unexplored as are the considerations for safety and privacy. There is a need to more broadly understand the patterns and context of social media use among people with dementia. There are also opportunities for interventions using social media as a pathway to intergenerational and social connection, meaningful engagement, and cognitive stimulation.

Leisure, Employment, Community Participation, and Quality of Life in Primary Caregivers of Autistic Children: A Qualitative Study.

In prioritising the needs of their autistic children, parents often modify their own participation across leisure, social, and workforce activities. Few studies have examined the impact these modifications have on caregiver quality of life (QoL). The aim in the current study was to examine how parenting their autistic child/ren impacts parent's participation and QoL. Twenty primary caregivers (29-48 years, all female) of autistic children (7-11 years) were interviewed online about their participation in leisure, community, and employment activities including the impact of COVID-19. Five themes with underlying subthemes were identified using reflexive thematic analysis. The themes were: (1) Reflecting on the important things in life, (2) Getting access to everything needed, (3) Barriers to participation in meaningful activities, (4) Facilitators of participation in meaningful activities, and (5) Participation through the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings highlight the importance of regular participation in meaningful activities for parents of autistic children and the support needed by them, particularly single parents, to achieve balance between meeting caring responsibilities and their own participation needs.