BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/7261
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Item Growing With The Garden: Volunteer’s Experience with the Cyrenian Community Garden(2019)Recent Scottish Household Survey (2017) revealed that 28% of adults (over 1.26 million people) volunteered formally, contributing 157 million hours of help worth £2.26 billion to the local economy and up to 17% of the volunteers are helping out at local communities such as community gardens (The National Council for Voluntary Organizations 2018). Therapeutic benefits of gardening and motivations and benefits of volunteering have been widely researched on. However the preceding literature review highlights a lack of research studies on the experiences of volunteering in a community garden. A generic qualitative study was therefore conducted in partnership with the Cyrenian Community Garden to explore the experience of general volunteers- volunteers who are not involved in any specialized roles, for example, trainer or volunteers working with patients. Six volunteers participated in the focus group discussion conducted and results from the study was analysed. Theme that emerged were: (1)Perceived enabler – “How I got involved”; (2) perceived barriers – personal and organizational reasons; (3) perceived benefits - “what I got from volunteering”: emotional, social, physical and community benefits. Given the multiple benefits of volunteering which fulfils the needs of individual and the community, it proves to be a promising community initiative.Item A Pilot Befriending Programme to increase social participation and social support among persons with Severe Mental Illness (SMI)(2019)Persons with severe mental illness have been reported to face high levels of social exclusion due to the stigma of having a mental health illness and a lack of social capital to participate in leisure activities in the community. A lack of social integration and social networks can affect the individual’s sense of belonging in the community which may contribute to poorer mental health. Literature has shown that befriending programmes can provide opportunities for socio-participation and increased social support. Contact Point is a charity organisation in Edinburgh which offers programmes to support the emotional needs of persons with SMI. In line with the Scottish Government’s aims to reduce social isolation, Contact point is proposing to develop an Occupational Therapy-led befriending programme which aims to provide opportunities for individuals to build meaningful and stronger connections with the community as well as be able to participate in leisure activities. Occupational Therapy is a client-centered health profession which aims to promote health, well-being and inclusion among community members. The proposed pilot befriending programme will involve pairing volunteers and participants with an activity pack which consists of an activity booklet, a subsidised activity card and a stipend to participate in socio-recreational activities for two to four hours weekly. Throughout the one-year programme, varying levels of support will be provided to participants and befrienders. Key partners in this programme will include various leisure centers, Volunteer Edinburgh as well as Community Mental Health Teams and Consumer-Drop-In-Centers in Edinburgh.Item Exploring the experiences of people using wheelchair skill and training programmes in Edinburgh(2019)This project begins with a literature review to investigate current research that has been conducted in relation to wheelchair training programmes. The review will include studies that in the researcher’s opinion are most relevant to this area of occupational therapy and will offer critiques to explain the value these studies have as evidence in practice. The aim of this project is to explore people’s experiences of a wheelchair skills and training programme based in Edinburgh. To achieve this aim the researcher has chosen to use a qualitative approach through narrative enquiry synthesising the data using thematic analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four participants one of whom had completed her involvement with the service while the remaining three were still involved when the interviews were carried out. Based on these interviews a collective narrative with four themes was formulated, Where can I get help?, I need to get out and about, Working with the Community and Orientation and Mobility Service and I’ll take it from here. The collective narrative described in this project provides an insight into the experiences of clients using wheelchair skills and training programmes. It highlights areas which proved to be beneficial for service users such as emotional support, trust and confidence in staff to make appropriate decisions and the means to establish links with other services expanding their support network. Upon reviewing the data presented it is evident that wheelchair skills and training programmes are an important service for wheelchair users. This service assists wheelchair users in their goals to maintain or re-establish their independence by participating in occupations within the home and community environments.Item Can occupational therapy methods support voluntary befrienders to develop meaningful relationships with young people?(2019)This research project was carried out by an occupational therapy student at Queen Mar-garet University, in partnership with the charity organisation People Know How (PKH). PKH run a ‘positive transitions service’ that provides support through befriending to young people in schools within North-East Edinburgh. Occupational therapist are concerned with enabling people to participate in activities that are meaningful and purposeful to them and use activities or occupations as a therapeutic tool. This core concept of occupational therapy is similar to the method adopted by be-frienders in supporting young people. With that said the ‘positive transitions service’ man-ager was interested in whether drawing on key aspects of occupational therapy could con-tribute to the development of meaningful relationships between befrienders and the young people they work with. This interest provided that basis for this research project. With the desired outcome being the development of a training pack influenced by the findings of the research and its links to occupational therapy. The student research carried out 4 semi-structured telephone interviews with befrienders to establish an understanding of their role and the current challenges they face. The find-ing revealed key links between occupational therapy and the skills and techniques cur-rently used by befrienders, supporting the idea that training or input from an occupational therapy perspective could enable befrienders to further develop their skills and support them in developing meaningful relationships with the young people they work with.Item Occupational therapists’ experiences and perceptions of community gardens as an occupation based intervention for the patient population of mental health rehabilitation wards(2019)Gardening is an activity enjoyed by many people from many aspects of life. Gardening at home can be valuable, however, community gardening opens new opportunities for a range of other benefits. Community gardening can provide a sense of belonging and a sense of giving back to the local area. Participating in gardening in a community area gives opportunity to meet new people, learn a new skill, participate in a hobby and gain support from others. People who have a long standing mental illness, such as schizophrenia, may be admitted to a mental health rehabilitation ward. Occupational therapists work with people with mental illness to help them to participate in activities that are enjoyable as well as purposeful. They may assist with life skills, such as cooking, but are often involved in helping people to engage in activities that they enjoy and wish to return to. This project aims to provide a service evaluation about a community garden based in hospital grounds, from occupational therapists who work in mental health rehabilitation wards. The occupational therapists were interviewed about how they feel the community garden benefits themselves and their patients as well as addressing if there are any barriers or challenges they have faced while using the gardens. This feedback was used to create a service evaluation to provide to the community gardens in the hope that they receive positive feedback about their service and perhaps areas they could develop or improve in the future.Item An exploration into the impact of PND on motherhood occupations: Mothers’ lived experience(2019)Postnatal Depression is a common mental health condition that mothers can experience following childbirth. The condition is associated with various symptoms that can negatively impact the lives of mothers and their families, and is also influenced by social and cultural factors. Mothers experiencing postnatal depression may find it challenging to meet the demands of their motherhood role. Mothers experience significant occupational changes as a result of their new role, which some mothers with postnatal depression may struggle to adapt to. The symptoms of postnatal depression can impact a mother’s ability to perform everyday activities and thus motherhood occupations, which significantly impacts their self-efficacy concerning their motherhood role. The reviewed literature showed that there was a lack of research regarding the lived experience of mothers with postnatal depression and the impact on motherhood occupations. Research exploring the lived experience has the potential to uncover some of the complexities related to this topic. An interpretive phenomenological study is proposed to explore mothers’ lived experience of postnatal depression and the impact on motherhood occupations. Recruitment will come from third sector support services for mothers’ with postnatal mental health issues. Semi-structured interviews will be used to gain an in-depth understanding of mothers’ experiences. It is hoped that the research findings have the potential to support occupational therapists role within an emerging field of practice, inform future practice and encourage further research.Item Transitions to secondary school: An exploration of the impact on primary school graduates’ well-being and occupational performance(2019)Children today are presenting higher levels of anxiety than ever before as symptoms are commonly under-recognised and often under-treated. It is the most common mental health illness reported by children and young people in Scotland. Transition to secondary school has been deemed as a critical turning point which alters early adolescents’ behaviours and their physical, cognitive and psychosocial development. The complexity of changes associated with anxiety and school transition from primary to secondary poses a number of issues in regards to children’s occupations, including: poor participation, engagement and performance. Poor student participation can impact upon a child’s motivation, self-esteem, concentration, academic achievement and social aspects of school. Occupational therapists are expert health professionals with a proficient knowledge base in participation in every occupation, therefore they can provide a unique perspective on this topic. In the form of a literature review, literature focusing on anxiety and the impact it plays during secondary school transition was explored. The aim of the literature was to uncover how anxiety symptoms (non-clinical) can affect students’ occupational participation and performance levels during secondary school transition. Themes and sub-themes have been explored, identified and discussed in relation to this topic. A research proposal will be delineated as evidence from the literature review. The proposed research uses a qualitative method in order to explore the perspectives and expectations of primary school graduates’ transition to secondary school and the impact on their well-being and occupational performance. Possible limitations are discussed within this research alongside future recommendations.Item An exploration into the perspectives of occupational therapists working with women who have experienced domestic abuse regarding their perspectives on the existing scope of practice(2019)Domestic abuse can have detremental effects on an individuals life. Between 2017 and 2018, 59,541 incidents of domestic abuse were reported in Scotland, of which, the vast majority of the victims in these cases were women. Physical, verbal, psychological, sexual or financial abuse by a current or ex-partner in any environment all constitutes as domestic abuse. It has been found that those who have experienced domestic abuse are at greater risk of having long-term conditions such as, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and substance misuse. Many women lose their lives due to effects of domestic abuse every year in the UK. Therefore the term ‘survivor’ can be used to describe someone who has not lost their life because of domestic abuse. Some women feel that the difference between identifying as a ‘victim’ or as a ‘survivor,’ is that being a ‘survivor’ signifies the process of developing from or moving on from the abuse experienced. Scotland has a unique position in terms of domestic abuse as the recently enforced Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act, considers psychological abuse (such as controlling behaviour) as an equal offence to physical abuse. This is different from other countries legislation, therefore the Scottish perspective of this issue is unique. Occupational therapists also have a unique perspective as they can work in both mental and physical health and often focus on building up or restoring lost life skills. This makes them an appropriate profession to work with survivors of domestic abuse. A literature review was conducted to explore the existing literature about the impact of domestic abuse once the individual had left their abusive relationship. Following this, a research proposal has been developed with the aim to explore the occupational therapists perspectives on working with this population in Scotland.Item The impact of Bipolar Disorder on gaining and maintaining employment: occupational therapists’ perspectives of using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as an intervention to assist individuals with bipolar to gain employment(2019)Bipolar Disorder is a chronic mental health condition that mainly effects a person’s mood and, therefore is characterised as a mood disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM – 5) (Mind 2018). This dissertation’s wider aim is to discuss and explore the impact of bipolar disorder on a persons’ ability to gain or sustain employment and consider some of the main barriers they may face in life. It also aims to discover what treatment options are available within occupational therapy to support and assist people to break down some of these barriers to employment. In order to meet the research aim, a generic qualitative design will be used to understand the perspectives and experiences of occupational therapists working in a mental health setting who have been trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). The researcher aims to provide current knowledge for an occupational therapy evidence base by using a focus group to gather information from the participants. Limitations will also be discussed throughout the literature review and research proposal in order to show full consideration of the topic and provide a balanced viewpoint.Item An exploration of sensory behaviours of preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: the effect of deep touch pressure on regulating behaviour and occupational performance(2019)This project completed a review of the literature to explore and gain an understanding of the sensory behaviours of preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The literature review provided the evidence to support the researcher’s project, highlighting how difficulties with sensory processing can present and affect the daily occupations and engagement opportunities of preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. A separate review of the literature surrounding the use of Sensory Integration with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder was also completed by the researcher. This review used Sensory Integration theory as a frame of reference to support the development of the resource. To support the resource the researcher aimed to gain an understanding of the effects of deep touch pressure, a subcategory of Sensory Integration, on preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and how the application of this intervention can be calming and regulating. The resource development plan looks at the implementation of a narrated PowerPoint for parents and preschool staff who work with children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The narrated PowerPoint consists of a synthesis of the literature review. It will also contains a synthesis and explanation of the effects of deep touch pressure on regulating behavior to increase opportunities and abilities in occupational performance. The development of the resource provides an overview of the theoretical support and need for this parent and preschool staff based intervention. The development plan also provides an overview of areas needed to implement the resource, such as the aim and objectives, stakeholders of the project, resources required to complete the project and barriers the researcher faced during the project.