Therapeutic Recreation Program Research Articles

Effect of Recreational Physical Activity Program on Aberrant Behaviors of Adolescents with Mild Intellectual Disabilities

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of the Recreational Physical Activity Program (RPAPP) on problem behaviors of adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities. The experimental group (n=17) involved the parents of adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities who were studying at the School for the Mildly Mentally Handicapped, within the Meram Melike Hatun Special Education Vocational High School affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in Konya. The parents who remained after the exclusion of the lost data constituted the control group (n=17). The Personal Information Form developed by the researchers and the Aberrant Behavior Checklist were used to collect data. The sample of the study consisted of 34 participants. To measure the aberrant behaviors of the adolescents, an evaluation was made through the parents. The study had a pretest-posttest experimental design with a control group. A 16-session RPA was implemented in the experimental group for 8 weeks, two sessions a week and each session lasting for about an hour. The results of the study revealed no statistically significant difference between the Aberrant Behavior Checklist pre-test and post-test total and factor scores of the experimental and control groups (p.05). the application of a recreational physical activity program in 16 sessions is not sufficient to reduce aberrant behaviors; therefore, longer-term programs are necessary for behavior change.Keywords: Aberrant Behaviors, Adolescent, Intellectual Disability, Therapeutic Recreation Program

Enhancing School Connectedness Through Recreation-Based Learning: Practical Strategies Guided by Theory and Practice

Creating school connectedness can enhance the overall development and academic progress for youth. The purpose of this article is to provide teachers with both a theoretical and applied understanding of how to develop and support school connectedness with students through recreation-based learning activities. The theoretical concepts grounded within Self-Determination Theory that can support the need for student relatedness (e.g., feeling cared for and/or emotionally heard) are discussed. In addition, practical evidence-based strategies are outlined from a two-year school and community-based program conducted in Arizona called Therapeutic and Inclusive Recreation Programming.

Re-Reading Mental Illness : A Living Library as a Pedagogical Tool for Unlearning Stigma

Living with mental illness often results in varying levels and experiences of stigma. Stigmatizing experiences in health care settings are particularly detrimental because they cause reluctance to seek mental health care, which impedes recovery. While therapeutic recreation (TR) services and programs aim to support recovery, there is a gap in what we know about TR’s role in combatting the stigma of mental illness. To address this gap, this study examined the experiences of TR students who participated in a contact-based initiative known as a living library. This initiative provides opportunities for individuals living with mental illness to become living books and talk openly to readers about their experiences of illness and recovery. In this study, TR students undertook the role of readers. Findings highlight how students shifted their focus from the diagnosis to the person and started questioning their previously held stereotypes about mental illness. Findings also capture how the living library helped to contextualize students’ classroom learning by humanizing course material. We draw from these findings to demonstrate the merit of using contact-based approaches in TR to combat stigma of mental illness. This study has implications for practice and suggests that initiatives aimed at unlearning stigma can be impactful for TR students embarking on careers in health care settings that support the recovery of individuals living with mental illness.

Playing With a Purpose: The Impact of Therapeutic Recreation During Hospitalization.

Background: Youth undergoing cancer treatment and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) spend significant time in the hospital, which is disruptive to their physical, social, and emotional development. Therapeutic recreation (TR) can help individuals with an illness maintain or improve their health, quality of life, and physical functioning. TR is an understudied intervention, particularly with youth in the hospital setting. Methods: Forty-nine children (median age = 12 years, interquartile range [IQR] 11-15 years) hospitalized for cancer treatment or HSCT were assigned to participate in either the historical control or TR intervention. Participants wore a Fitbit charge HR for three days to measure movement. At the end of the study participation, they completed self-report measures of mood, social connectedness, and health-related quality of life. Results: Compared with historical controls, the TR intervention group had improved positive affect and decreased mood disturbance (p = 0.03); had better sleep quality (p = 0.003); and was more satisfied with the leisure activities offered in the hospital (p = 0.01). There were no differences in the number of steps taken per day, somatic distress, cooperation with cares, or interaction with medical personnel or caregivers. Both groups reported poor availability and support of peer companions. Discussion: TR is one avenue to increase leisure activities and positively impact mood. More thought needs to be given to how TR programs can be leveraged to increase physical activity and social connectedness.

The effect of the therapeutic recreation program for children with autistic spectrum disorder on their social skills

Background: This study was carried out to reveal the effect of the recreational therapy program on the social skills of children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Material and method: The study was conducted in a one group pre experimental design with a pre-test and a post-test. The data were collected through the Family Information Form and the Autism Social Skills Profile (ASSP) Scale. To evaluate the data, t-test was performed in dependent groups. Results: It was found that the difference between the pre-test and post-test mean scores for the Social Reciprocity and Social Participation/Avoidance sub-dimensions of the scale was statistically significant; while the difference between the pre-test and post-test mean scores for the Harmful Social Behaviors sub-dimension was not statistically significant. Conclusion: It has been observed that the recreational therapy program for children with ASD affected the social skills of children positively.

Looking for a bright side: Tales from a recreational therapy virtual service-learning project during a pandemic

The everchanging policies and inability to utilize university students due to COVID-19 impacted both residents living in long-term care as well as the next generation of students pursuing careers in the field. University Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) faculty strategized solutions as restrictions threatened to impact hands-on opportunities for students. Was there a safe and effective solution to offer residents evidence-based programming while also providing students with vital field experience? Simply stated, the answer was yes. Thus, the UWL Happiness Project was born. This session will outline the UWL Happiness Project, a ten-week, telehealth program implemented between a skilled nursing facility in rural Wisconsin and the UWL Therapeutic Recreation Program, an AGHE Program of Merit for Health Professions designated program. The evidence-based curriculum was developed by an emerging UWL graduate student scholar with faculty mentorship. The innovative curriculum focuses on increasing feelings of happiness using PERMA, a theoretical model grounded in positive psychology. During virtual sessions, older adult residents (ages 65-85) and students built connection while working through weekly focus areas (e.g. vitality, mindfulness, friendship). An overview of AGHE competencies addressed within the project, online course demonstration, and assignment development will be discussed along with information about how these connections fostered an opportunity for students to see aging from a different perspective. This is the first time we are presenting results from the newly developed program. In this, we look forward to sharing student measurements and outcomes, as well as lessons learned during this meaningful, stimulating, and insightful educational session.

Online Teaching and Learning: Perspectives of Faculty and Students from the Cyber-Trenches

This paper shares lessons learned and effective practices in online teaching and learning from veteran faculty and students in an online graduate therapeutic recreation program at SUNY Cortland, now in its sixth year (2020–2021). The number of students in online learning is growing and consists of a diverse group of adults working full and or part-time. A primary reason for this growth is the ability to balance learning with life’s activities. Online learning benefits underserved or unserved adults incorporating their practice wisdom with field connections through constant communication, access to extensive resources, and well-designed student-centered classes offered in safe and secure environments. Challenges experienced with online learning relate to communication nuances, technology, instructor consistency and availability, course ownership, and administrative support. Faculty and students reported effective practices included frequent, immediate, ongoing communication, interaction, collaboration, assessment, and feedback; applied assignments; multi-media usage; faculty flexibility; and, global awareness.

Addressing Racial Injustice in Long-Term Care

Addressing Racial Injustice in Long-Term Care

A Meta-Analysis on the Effects of Therapeutic Recreation Programs for the Elderly.

This study gathered previous research on the effects of therapeutic recreation programs for the elderly conducted in Korea in order to investigate the average effect size as well as the factors that influence the effect sizes. This study connoted findings of individual studies related to therapeutic recreation programs for the elderly from 2000 to 2018. A total of 15 papers were selected for meta-analysis. To analyze the data, a comprehensive meta-analysis 2.0 software program was used. Firstly, the overall mean effect size of the therapeutic recreation programs for the elderly was 0.644, and it was medium size. Secondly, for each dependent variable, the mean effect size on social emotional domain was 0.739, the mean effect size on physical domain was 0.548, and the mean effect size on cognitive domain was 0.485. Thirdly, major factors that influence the effect of therapeutic recreation programs for the elderly appeared to be the program period and hours per session. The results of this study prove that therapeutic recreation programs for the elderly can be an effective way to bring along a positive change, and show that the program period and hours per session are crucial factors in the design of therapeutic recreation programs for the elderly.

Experiences of outdoor nature-based therapeutic recreation programs for persons with a mental illness: a qualitative systematic review.

The objective of this review was to identify, appraise, and synthesize the best available evidence related to participation in outdoor nature-based therapeutic recreation programs for adults with a mental illness living in the community. Therapeutic recreation is posited to be beneficial for persons living with a mental illness. Research evidence indicates that therapeutic recreation programs can foster mental health recovery. It is important to understand the effectiveness of this from the perspective of persons living with mental illness how outdoor nature-based therapeutic recreation programs are meaningful and helpful for recovery. This review considered studies that collected qualitative data on the experiences and perspectives of adults with a mental illness regarding their participation in outdoor nature-based therapeutic recreation programs. The databases PsycINFO, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Informit, as well as unpublished sources in gray literature (Google Scholar, OpenGrey), were searched and reference lists were checked to locate any additional studies. Studies published in English were considered, with a date range from inception to 2019. Three reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of the studies that met the inclusion criteria using the JBI critical appraisal approach for qualitative research. Data were extracted by one reviewer using the standardized qualitative extraction tool and checked for accuracy by three other reviewers. The qualitative research findings were pooled using JBI methodology. The JBI process of meta-aggregation was used to identify categories and synthesized findings, and a level of confidence was assigned to both synthesized findings. Eighteen papers met the inclusion criteria and were included in the data extraction phase. A total of 84 findings were extracted and aggregated into six categories based on similarity of meaning and two synthesized findings. The methodological quality of the studies varied, and the overall level of confidence of the synthesized findings was determined to be moderate. This review identified that persons living with mental illness perceive outdoor nature-based therapeutic recreation as enjoyable and that therapeutic recreation makes a positive contribution to mental health. Congruent with the literature, therapeutic recreation offers a socially inclusive and psychologically safe environment. The intentionally structured social milieu enhances the formation of social relationships and meaningful connections for persons with mental illness. Elements linked with psychological well-being, such as intrinsic motivation, overcoming perceived challenges, and finding purpose and meaning, are enhanced through participation in therapeutic recreation in outdoor nature-based settings. Increased levels of physical activity, greater self-esteem, and enhanced sense of identity were some of the perceived positive changes. This review provides important insights into the subjective needs of persons with mental illness who undertake therapeutic recreation in outdoor nature-based settings. The qualitative findings can inform health care providers, or those interested in therapeutic recreation programming, to use alongside quantitative evidence of effectiveness to design nature-based therapeutic recreation activities that are meaningful for persons with mental illness. Limitations of the research were that papers published in languages other than English were not searched, and papers not located may have influenced the findings of this review.

Student beliefs about their practice within a non-traditional mental health clinical placement

Therapeutic recreation programs utilize leisure to maximize a person's overall health and well-being. The focus of this study is a professional experience placement held within an outdoor recreation center involving student nurses and people with a lived experience of mental illness. The study aimed to explore student nurse's beliefs about their practice within the program setting. An ethnographic case study approach was used to focus on the development of student nurse practice in this setting. The analytic strategy derived the themes of the ethnographic case study, namely ‘who's who’, ‘clinical contrast’ and ‘recreation as practice’. A non-traditional mental health clinical placement would seem to have the potential in providing a new set of skills and experiences to these future nurses that may complement the scope of recovery-orientated care. The therapeutic recreation program provided the student with an experience where they could develop therapeutic relationships with people a lived experience of mental illness.

치매노인 부양 가족기능 강화 지원프로그램으로써 치료레크리에이션 프로그램 효과 검증

치매노인 부양 가족기능 강화 지원프로그램으로써 치료레크리에이션 프로그램 효과 검증

Experiences of outdoor nature-based therapeutic recreation programs for persons with a mental illness: a qualitative systematic review protocol

The objective of this review is to identify, appraise and synthesize the best available qualitative evidence on participation in outdoor therapeutic recreation programs for adults with a mental illness living in the community. Therapeutic recreation is posited to be beneficial for persons living with a mental illness. Research indicates that therapeutic recreation programs can foster mental health recovery. It is necessary to understand how nature-based therapeutic recreation programs are beneficial from the perspective of persons living with mental illness. The review will consider studies that have collected qualitative data on the experiences and perspectives of adults with a mental illness of their participation in nature-based therapeutic recreation programs. The databases PsycINFO, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus and Informit and unpublished sources in gray literature databases (Google) will be searched and reference lists will be checked to locate any additional studies. Studies published in English will be considered with no date limit. Two reviewers will independently assess the methodological quality of the studies which meet the inclusion criteria using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist for qualitative research. Data will be extracted by one reviewer using the standardized qualitative extraction tool and checked for accuracy by a second reviewer. The qualitative research findings will be pooled using JBI methodology. The JBI process of meta-aggregation will be used to identify categories and synthesized findings.

Comparison Of Physical Activity Levels During Therapeutic Camp Activities In Youth With Disabilities

Youth with disabilities have limited opportunities to engage in leisure time physical activity (PA). Outdoor therapeutic recreation (TR) camps provide diverse PA opportunities that include structured (dramatic, functional, game, constructive) and unstructured (free time) activities that have the potential to benefit these individuals cognitively and physically. However, little is known about the PA levels during these activities. PURPOSE: To compare the PA levels of youth attending an outdoor TR camp, across various activity contexts. METHODS: Youth (n=25; 14.6±3.9 y) with disabilities attending an overnight TR camp, participated in the study. PA was assessed using ActiGraph GT3X or GT3X+ accelerometers worn on the wrist during camp activities. Participants engaged in 14 activities of varying contexts based on the primary skill addressed, creating five distinct areas. Gross/Functional activity involves simple motor activities (e.g., yoga, ropes course). Game play is activity that involves set rules (e.g., sports, games). Dramatic play includes pretend play (e.g., theatre, team building activities). Fine/constructive play involves manipulation of objects for creative purposes (e.g., science experiments, cooking). During free time, the youth choose their activities (e.g., playground activity, hang out in cabin). The mean vector magnitude [VM; counts per minute (counts·min-1)] of individual activities was used to calculate the PA level of each area. One-way ANOVAs were used to determine differences in VM for each area as well among individual activities within an area. RESULTS: There were no differences (p=.999) in the mean VM for any area: Gross/Functional (2601.4 ±1648.9 counts·min-1), Game (2599.3 ±1551.9 counts·min-1), Drama (2569.3±1420.9 counts·min-1), Fine/Constructive (2601.3 ±1552.29 counts·min-1), and Free Time (2557.9 ±1398.8 counts·min-1). Additionally, there were no differences (p=.999) among activities within each domain. CONCLUSION: The results revealed a consistent level of PA across all areas of activity. These findings suggest the activities offered in this outdoor TR program provide an opportunity for youth with disabilities to accumulate PA that may also benefit them cognitively and physically.

A Study of Intervention Strategy and Efficiency of Therapeutic Recreation Program for Family Supporting Senior with Dementia

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to seek the intervention strategy of therapeutic recreation by practice analysis of support program usage for dependents of the elderly patients with dementia. Methods/Statistical analysis: The survey was conducted in 205 subjects and personal interviews were conducted in 20 subjects by random sampling. For the investigation of program participations and needs, the programs in 10 family support centers currently operating (refer to Project Report in 2014 and web-site) and the tools developed by this investigator were used upon literature review and classifying the questionnaires. Findings: The study results are as follows. First, the limitation of the family support program was detected demonstrating low mean values in the family strength, family requests, and partnership of family and specialist. Second, it could understand that the participants’ needs did not apply to the programs entirely in the practice domain of family support program participation since the needs of family support programs were shown the highest in hobby and leisure activities. Third, top three reasons of difficulty in participating in the program were “there are few to provide (operate) the program,” followed by “there are many one-time programs,” and “there is no favorite program,” in the domain of activation plan for family support program. Improvements/Applications: A family support program can provide the empirical data for expanding the scope of social welfare. It will also contribute to the understanding, specialization, and institutionalization of the potential value of the therapeutic recreation which has not yet established as a specialized field in South Korea.

A Study on Therapeutic Recreation Program Development for Reinforcement of Family Function for Family Supporting Senior with Dementia

A Study on Therapeutic Recreation Program Development for Reinforcement of Family Function for Family Supporting Senior with Dementia

Leisure Education in Japan

The term “therapeutic recreation (TR)” was introduced in Japan in 1980. Since then, there have only been a few significant practices in social welfare as well as in rehabilitation settings. Previous research suggested adjusting TR approaches to make TR programs suitable for long-term care facilities, including culturally appropriate recreational activities. The number of Japanese Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRSs) has increased, and there is a TR Study Group that meets regularly to share research, curriculum, and accreditation matters related to fukushi recreation and TR. This article describes the Leisure Education Program (LEP) in Japan, which has been conducted since 1996, focusing on how the program has evolved to address participants’ needs. There have been various fukushi recreation programs in the past that emphasized either “Functional Improvement” or “Recreation Participation” using the Leisure Ability Model (LAM). LEP is a useful recreation program that forms a link between “Functional Improvement” and “Recreation Participation.” This article suggests that a TR service model—the Self-Determination and Enjoyment Enhancement Model—can be more effective in meeting the needs of individuals with higher brain dysfunction.Subscribe to TRJ

Therapeutic recreation’s contributions to Canada’s National Recreation framework

ABSTRACTIn 2015 a national framework for recreation in Canada was ratified. It outlines five priority goal areas to enhance individual and community well-being. Although the Framework is based on the idea of partnerships, there are limited examples of the contributions the field of therapeutic recreation (TR) can make to achieve these aims. The purpose of this paper is to explore how TR programs and services in Canada address the goals of the Framework for Recreation in Canada. Eighteen practitioners participated in the study from British Columbia (n = 9), Alberta (n = 7) and Nova Scotia (n = 2). A diversity of participants and settings were represented and a wide variety of TR practices, ranging from specific programs to entire service delivery contexts, were described. The results are framed in relation to the strong, moderate and weak alignments demonstrated in the descriptions provided, along with identifying the unique contributions of the TR profession to the Framework’s goals.

The effectiveness on sociality and social relationship by therapeutic recreation based on partner and group activity in the institutionalized elderly.

This research examined the effects on sociality and social relationship of therapeutic recreation program (TRP) based on partner and group activity in the institutionalized elderly as the level of psycho-social rehabilitations. TRP sessions were designed to encourage interaction and social relationship between two people or groups performing different types of tasks applied on Mosey’s 5-step interaction skills. TRP was conducted for a total of 8 sessions, once a week, for 8 weeks. Using a pre-post experimental design, eight volunteer’s data were analyzed to examine changes in sociality and social relationship. As the result, the degree of sociality was significantly changed from 3.14 to 3.73 (P= 0.002), as well as notable improvements of social relationships were found to have statistically increased from 3.27 to 4.10 (P=0.001). Therefore, this study suggests that partner and group-based recreation programs while considering how and when facilitate interaction between participants should be applied as a way to solve the social problems and isolation of the elderly in the future.

Therapeutic Recreation in the Public Schools: A Community Partnership.

In 2002, the University of Southern Mississippi's Therapeutic Recreation Program and the Hattiesburg (MS) Public School District's Department of Exceptional Children and Health Services formed a partnership that has lasted (off and on) for 15 years. The partnership was formed based on a shared mission of education and training, and grew in depth based on reciprocated respect and support. Early collaborative efforts included simple programming efforts that provided health and educational benefits for the students with disabilities in the public schools and training for the future professionals in therapeutic recreation at the university. As the program progressed, more complex programs were designed to teach students with disabilities to build the capacity for pursuing and maintaining personal health. Planned programming efforts for the near future focus on collecting data to support the development of an extracurricular athletic program for students with disabilities.