Therapy Practice Research Articles

A Quantitative Examination of Servant Leadership in Occupational Therapy

The tenets of servant leadership are in alignment with those driving occupational therapy practice, though little research exists to quantify this fit. This study presents a preliminary examination of servant leadership utilization by occupational therapy academic leaders. A quantitative survey-based design collected demographic information and scores on the Servant Leadership Behavior Scale. There were 370 responses which met inclusionary criteria. The findings provided initial support for the intentional use of a servant leadership model by leaders in the profession, and points to future research on the subject to further strengthen the findings presented.

Multispecies Occupations Involving Equines: An Action-Oriented Inquiry to Inform Occupational Therapy Practitioners.

Research related to human-animal engagement often fails to address the complexity and nuance present in occupations and occupational therapy services that incorporate animals. The goal of this research was to develop a basic understanding of multispecies occupations (MSO) involving humans and equines, focusing on the action-oriented processes and transactions during socialization in outdoor, non-therapeutic contexts. We employed a multi-modal qualitative design with interviews and videography with n = 6 horse-human dyads, creating opportunities to understand and represent engagement beyond anthropocentric norms. Findings included a variety of dyad-specific features of occupation, including processes of embodied communication, the presence of behavioral synchrony, and perceptions of attunement arising from these processes. Examining MSO via a multi-modal inquiry offers new perspectives about the nature and experience of such occupations and supports a deeper understanding of potential mechanisms of change when animals are incorporated in occupational therapy interventions and practice.

"Being Holistic Is a Lot to Ask": A Qualitative, Cross-National Exploration of Occupational Therapists' Perceptions and Experiences of Holistic Practice.

Being holistic is often used by occupational therapists to describe their practice and philosophy worldwide. This study explores the perspectives of 33 occupational therapists, working in 13 different countries, on their understanding of holistic epistemology and practice and how they seek to incorporate holism in their work. On the basis of a qualitative study design, individual interviews were conducted with the participants by 18 Norwegian undergraduate occupational therapy students, supported by their supervisors. The authors subsequently analyzed the transcribed data, using a thematic analysis approach. Three principal themes emerged: (1) holism as a broad and narrow concept, (2) being holistic spans from treating body parts to teaching marginalized children, and (3) being holistic is a lot to ask. When talking about holism and holistic practice, participants described their holistic practices in various ways, and their accounts reflected different understandings and cultural contexts. Participants characterized a holistic approach as one emphasizing the importance of occupations and activities and helping patients regain independence in their everyday lives. However, they also highlighted the specific challenges they faced, including cultural factors and inadequate resources. Significantly, participants from both Western and non-Western contexts emphasized the importance of holistic practice, suggesting that a dichotomous understanding of Eastern versus Western philosophical approaches does not necessarily make sense in occupational therapy interventions. Therapists' degree of commitment to client-centered practice appears of greater relevance. With its international perspective, our study sheds light on important areas of contemporary occupational therapy practice, including the difficulties occupational therapists face when seeking to cover "everything" in an effort to be more holistic.

Retracted: Occupational Therapy Practice Based on New-Generation Information Technology for Employee Emotion Analysis and Management.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/3536911.].

Experiencing principles of dance movement therapy practice within transdisciplinary environmental research in South Africa

This research study is an initial exploration of ways in which principles of dance movement therapy practice can be used in South Africa. Culturally-relevant principles in dance movement therapy practice were identified in an earlier phase of the study and informed a short-term group intervention within a transdisciplinary research team that dealt with water resources management. The research question for this phase of the study focused on the experiences of members of this group: How did researchers from a water resources management transdisciplinary environmental research group program in South Africa experience their participation in a group that adopted selected, culturally-sensitive dance movement therapy principles and practices? Hermeneutic phenomenology provided the methodological framing. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis influenced the identification of themes. We conclude that principles of dance movement therapy have relevance in multiple and diverse ways within environmental transdisciplinary teams, beyond typical therapy contexts.

Music Therapy as a Collaborative Tool in the Recovery of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Patients

Music is considered worldwide as both a verbal and non-verbal tool because it influences an individual’s emotions, positively impacting their mood, individuality, and self-confidence, among other aspects. In the context of pharmacological treatments for substance dependence, the practices of Music Therapy are included and are considered a valuable tool to assist in the recovery of these patients. Music provides emotional and mental support during the detoxification and withdrawal processes experienced by individuals who develop substance-induced disorders. It is a complementary therapy that helps the patient express themselves, contributing to improvements in the sensory and motor experiences of the participants. In other words, it allows the individual’s subjectivity to re-emerge, enabling them to reconnect with themselves and with society. The literature demonstrates that drug addiction is a millennia-old phenomenon that affected approximately 11.2 million people around the world in 2020. Additionally, there has been an increase in consumption among young people, with rates growing by 26% compared to those recorded in 2012. This review article, prepared using the bibliographic research technique, aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of Music Therapy in the treatment and support of patients with substance use disorders. Based on the literature selected from electronic sources, it was found that Music Therapy, as an additional treatment alongside pharmacological approaches, significantly contributes to the recovery of individuals with substance-induced disorders.

BCI-AMSH: A MATLAB based open-source brain computer interface assistive application for mental stress healing

Numerous Brain computer interface (BCI) assistive software applications or toolboxes help to monitor the status of brain through Electroencephalogram (EEG); however, currently there is no application available to alleviate mental stress along with EEG analysis. In this paper, a new MATLAB-based assistive application called BCI-AMSH (Brain-Computer Interface-Assistive Mental Stress Healing) is developed. This application includes EEG signal offline analysis and stress healing techniques, such as guided meditation and singing bowl sound therapy, combined with real-time EEG analysis using the Enobio-8 device. The EEG offline analysis and stress healing modules are designed to be platform-independent.EEG offline analysis module offers signal preprocessing methods, diverse EEG signal analysis techniques, feature extraction methods, such as time and frequency domain analysis, and a range of machine learning and deep learning models for classification, various performance evaluation metrics. Additionally, it generates comprehensive EEG report about the user's mental states such as focus, relax and stress both in real-time and offline analysis. Furthermore, the stress healing module provides a variety of guided breathing practices and singing bowl sound therapy practices to effectively reduce stress levels. This new application is designed to be very simple and user-friendly, making it accessible to users without prior experience. Its potential applications are significant, particularly in the clinical industry for mental health purposes, as well as for novice researchers seeking to explore new possibilities in BCI.

Exploration of Occupational Therapy Practice for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Dominican Republic

Exploration of Occupational Therapy Practice for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Dominican Republic

Physicians' Knowledge and Perceptions of Occupational Therapy Practice

Physicians' Knowledge and Perceptions of Occupational Therapy Practice

Clear aligner therapy practice among orthodontists in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland: A cross-sectional survey of the British Orthodontic Society membership.

To investigate clear aligner therapy (CAT) practice among orthodontists in the British Orthodontic Society (BOS). A cross-sectional online survey. An electronic survey was distributed to members of the BOS in 2022. The survey comprised questions regarding respondent demographics, general use of CAT, the choice of proprietary CAT appliances, CAT planning, case selection, treatment protocols and orthodontist-reported CAT problems. Overall, there were 233 (19.5%) respondants with the majority (n = 121, 53.1%) being female. Most respondents reported practising in England (n = 171, 74.7%). The majority (n = 177, 77.3%) indicated that they used CAT in their practice, with 48.1% (n = 81) treating 1-20 patients with CAT annually. The most frequently prescribed CAT system was Invisalign (n = 138, 81.2%). One to three changes to the initial digital treatment plan were made by 72.9% (n = 121) with final tooth positions being the most common reason for adjustment (64.4%). Most (n = 97, 60.3%) rarely or never performed premolar extractions with CAT. Of the respondents, 23 12.7%) reported that they always or mostly used a remote monitoring system in conjunction with CAT, with a wide range of aligner change protocols reported. The median number of months required to complete non-extraction CAT reported by the respondents was 12. Most respondents (n = 77, 51.7%) did not feel that CAT provides superior outcomes compared with fixed appliance therapy. CAT practice varied widely among the surveyed orthodontists. A predilection for the use of Invisalign and utility in less severe cases was noted.

Guiding Principles for the Practice of Integrative Physical Therapy.

This perspective article presents 5 guiding principles to establish a framework to define and shape the growing application of an integrative health model to physical therapy practice. These integrative physical therapy guiding principles aim to improve the quality of whole-person, patient-centered care.

Four-Dimensional Imaging and Radiation Therapy: A Review of Challenges and Advancements in Clinical Practices

4-Dimensional Radiation therapy (4DRT) has been vastly developed in the past two decades. Motion management has become a vital part of high precision radiotherapy, wherein Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) turns out to be a great boon for treating thoracic and abdominal tumours with confidence. In this review paper, we have analyzed the development of motion management strategies and the advancement of 4DRT.We have discussed the evolution of Internal target volume (ITV), 4D imaging techniques and the problems of breathing motion. In the second part, we have discussed various methods to tackle breathing motion. We also have reviewed the dosimetric aspects of 4D imaging and its clinical implications. In the last section, we have elaborated the 4D radiation therapy and recent advancements and practices.

Exploring clinicians’ experiences of engaging in collaborative music therapy and speech and language therapy for children with an acquired brain injury

Music therapy and speech and language therapy are extensively used in the rehabilitation of communication and social interaction skills following acquired brain injury (ABI). Increasing evidence suggests that collaboration between the two disciplines may yield positive outcomes for the paediatric population. However, little is known about clinicians’ experiences of engaging in collaborative music therapy and speech and language therapy within paediatric rehabilitation settings, and there is a need to further explore and understand collaborative therapy to identify strategies for improving client outcomes as well as clinicians’ experiences. This study aimed to explore music therapists’ and speech and language therapists’ experiences of working collaboratively to develop communication and social interaction skills in children with ABI. The study also intended to gain further insights into collaborative practices as well as strategies and interventions used in joint sessions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three clinicians (two music therapists and one speech and language therapist) who have previously engaged in collaborative practices with this population. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from the data: (a) benefits of a collaborative approach, (b) limitations of conjoint work (c) collaborative practices, and (d) need for further research. Key findings suggested that conjoint working between music therapy and speech and language therapy facilitates increased attention and motivation which enables the client to engage in interpersonal interactions and develop communication skills. Joint working is a crucial component of music therapy practice within paediatric ABI. Larger studies are warranted to further explore its complexities and to advocate for this valuable yet demanding approach.

Correction to: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning: Best practices in music therapy and Rhode Island Fire Music Therapy Project Final Report

Correction to: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning: Best practices in music therapy and Rhode Island Fire Music Therapy Project Final Report

Art therapy as a treatment for adults with learning disabilities who are experiencing mental distress: A configurative systematic review with narrative synthesis

This systematic review with narrative synthesis aimed to identify the forms of art therapy practice, types of studies conducted, outcomes reported, and experiences described in the literature for people with learning disabilities who also experienced mental distress.Papers in English, describing art therapy practice or therapeutic art interventions which addressed mental distress with adults with learning disabilities were included. Database searches were conducted using Healthcare Databases Advanced Search (HDAS), PubMed and American Psychological Association PsycInfo. Hand searches of grey literature were also conducted. Relevance and quality assessment ratings were carried out on each included paper. Results were discussed in terms of the four main questions of this review.Sixty-eight papers were included: 41 clinical practice and 27 research studies. Art therapy was most frequently provided on an individual basis, by qualified art therapists in community settings. Papers highlighted a broad range of adaptive practices, techniques and theoretical models used by practitioners when working with this population. Study outcomes varied, were predominantly behavioural and deficit focused. Data on the direct experiences of this population were limited but show promising areas for future research.This review identified that art therapy practice has evolved in response to diverse client needs and specific socio-cultural contexts across 40 years. Although there are no clearly defined models of individual or group art therapy for this population, practitioners employ their creative and therapeutic skills flexibly to meet this population’s complex health and social needs. We recommend that future studies: employ robust and inclusive methodologies, measure resource-oriented outcomes and use established standards of reporting, to expand the evidence-base and to more accurately reflect the experiences of this population.

Analyzing Time Use by Occupation Area between Weekdays and Weekends by Gender of Parents in Single-Parent Families.

Based on the "2019 Living Time Survey" data conducted by the National Statistical Office, this study is aimed at comparing the time usage of single-parent families by classifying the occupation area based on the fourth edition of the occupational therapy practice framework (OTPF) and dividing time use according to weekdays and weekends and by gender. After extracting the subjects who were selected belonging to a single-parent family from the original data of the "2019 Living Time Survey," 404 subjects who were single parents were selected, and the data were analysed. The sample consisted of 134 males and 270 females. The time usage by occupation area during weekdays and weekends and according to the gender of the subjects was checked. By using SPSS 25.0 version for data analysis, the general characteristics and time usage of subjects were presented as frequency analysis and technical statistics, and an independent sample t-test was conducted to compare time usage on weekdays and weekends. Subjects spent more time on "education" and "work" on weekdays, and on weekends, they spent more time on "activities of daily living," "rest and sleep," "leisure," and "social participation." After classifying the subjects by gender, men spent more time on "work" on weekdays, and on weekends, they spent more time on "activities of daily living," "rest and sleep," "leisure," and "social participation." Women spent more time on "education" and "work" on weekdays, and on weekends, they spent more time on "rest and sleep," "leisure," and "social participation." By examining the time usage of single-parent families according to the day of the week, we hope that it will be used as basic data to suggest in which areas they have difficulty managing time, depending on the day of the week, and to establish solutions to insufficient time use due to gender differences.

Consenso de expertos sobre la eficacia clínica y directrices sobre la terapia de oxígeno transdérmico continuo para la cicatrización de las heridas complejas o difíciles de cicatrizar

Oxygen is pivotal for wound healing. Its lack or hypoxia can delay this process, especially in individuals with comorbidities, potentially resulting in complex or hard-to-heal wounds. The Colombian Association of Diabetes (ACD) and the Colombian Association of Internal Medicine (ACMI) collaborated with a diverse group of experts to provide recommendations on the efficacy and best practices of continuous transdermal oxygen therapy (TOTc) in the care of such wounds. A modified Delphi technique was employed to obtain controlled feedback and responses. Experts from various disciplines engaged in reviewing and discussing numerous relevant scientific studies, focusing on the role of TOTc in treating chronic ulcers. Continuous transdermal oxygen therapy has proven to be an effective and safe treatment for chronic and/or hard-to-heal ulcers. This therapy directly addresses the wound's oxygen deficiency, providing an environment conducive to healing. Significant benefits were observed, including the acceleration of the healing process, wound size reduction, and an enhancement in patient quality of life. Its efficacy was found across various ulcer etiologies, underscoring its therapeutic versatility. Continuous transdermal oxygen therapy is effective and safe for treating chronic and hard-to-heal ulcers. It's crucial to address each case individually and through a multidisciplinary approach to maximize this therapy's benefits. Both evidence and clinical experience back its utility across a variety of ulcer etiologies.

On Putting an End to the Backlash Against Electrophysical Agents.

Electrophysical agents (EPAs) are core therapeutic interventions in academic physical therapy curricula around the world. They are used concomitantly with several other therapeutic interventions such as exercise, manual therapy techniques, medications, and surgery for the management of a wide variety of soft tissue disorders. Over the past decade, the practice of EPAs has been the subject of intense scrutiny in the U.S. This has been colored by some physical therapists publicly engaging in bashing rhetoric that has yet to be officially and publicly addressed by the guiding organizations which, together, regulate the practice of physical therapy in this country. Published in world renowned public media are unsubstantiated mocking remarks against the practice of EPAs and unethical allegations against its stakeholders. This rhetoric suggests that EPA interventions are "magical" treatments and that those practitioners who include them in their plans of care may be committing fraud. Such bashing rhetoric is in striking contradiction to the APTA's Guide to Physical Therapist Practice 4.0, which lists EPAs as one of its categories of interventions, the CAPTE's program accreditation policy, and the FSBPT's national licensing exam. The purpose of this commentary is to expose the extent of this discourse and to call to action the APTA, CAPTE, and FSBPT organizations, as well as physical therapists, with the aim at putting an end to this rhetoric.

The Ableist and White Supremacist Origins of U.S. Policing and Connections to Involuntary Hospitalization

This paper discusses the impact of White supremacy, ableism, and U.S. policing on both the history and current state of psychology and sheds light on ways that psychologists can acknowledge and divest from carceral White supremacist practices in mental healthcare. Because of how oppression and intersectionality function within a White supremacist society, not all Black lives have been equally valued by non-Black Americans. Similarly, White supremacy and ableism have had lasting impacts on the public perception of disabled people. Connecting the historical origins of the U.S. policing system to the current practices of the U.S. police system, this paper argues that the police have always been about controlling “disorder.” Similarly, psychology and the larger mental health field have a troubled history of controlling Black, Brown, and disabled bodies. Recommendations for ways therapists can unlearn therapy practices stemming from White supremacy cultural practices (e.g., carceral therapeutic practices and biased mental health care) are provided along with action items for mental health practitioners to maintain a commitment to undoing the harm from these historic and systemic issues.

The First International Drama Therapy Practicum intensive in Mendoza, Argentina

The Argentinian Dramatherapy Association held its First International Drama Therapy Practicum in Mendoza, Argentina, in July 2022. The event provided six students and new practitioners supervised practice and advanced training in drama therapy. Two clinical seminars were led by experienced professionals for an intensive three-week period that included actual client-contact, group supervision and master classes. In addition, they were acquainted with local practices of applied theatre, playback theatre, community theatre and theatre in education. This report briefly summarizes the project and incorporates reflections gathered from an open-ended questionnaire by the students and supervisors who participated in the project.