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BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic poses risks to the quality of life (QoL) of relatives of individuals with intellectual disabilities. This paper investigates relatives' QoL and associated risk and buffering factors before and during the pandemic. METHOD: Surveys were administered to three samples of relatives in the Netherlands in 2019 (N = 105) and during the first waves of COVID-19 in June (N = 207) and October 2020 (N = 332). Associations between QoL and care burden, care competence, social support, and resilience, and changes over time were analysed using (logistic) regressions. RESULTS: No significant changes in overall QoL nor its domains were found. Care burden was negatively associated with QoL and increased during the pandemic. Care competence was lower than in 2019. Competence, social support, and resilience were positively associated with QoL. CONCLUSIONS: Although relatives' QoL remained stable, the pandemic poses non-negligible risks to their wellbeing. It is, therefore, crucial to provide relatives with adequate support.
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INTRODUCTION: This study compared the pharmacokinetics (PK) of the ravulizumab on-body delivery system for subcutaneous (SUBQ) administration with intravenous (IV) ravulizumab in eculizumab-experienced patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). METHODS: Patients with PNH received SUBQ ravulizumab (n = 90) or IV ravulizumab (n = 46) during the 10-week randomized treatment period; all patients then received SUBQ ravulizumab during an extension period (< 172 weeks; data cutoff 1 year). Primary endpoint was day 71 serum ravulizumab trough concentration (Ctrough). Secondary endpoints were ravulizumab Ctrough and free C5 over time. Efficacy endpoints included change in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), breakthrough hemolysis (BTH), transfusion avoidance, stabilized hemoglobin, and Treatment Administration Satisfaction Questionnaire (TASQ) score. Safety, including adverse events (AEs) and adverse device effects (ADEs), was assessed until data cutoff. RESULTS: SUBQ ravulizumab demonstrated PK non-inferiority with IV ravulizumab (day 71 SUBQ/IV geometric least-squares means ratio 1.257 [90% confidence interval 1.160-1.361; p < 0.0001]). Through 1 year of SUBQ administration, ravulizumab Ctrough values were > 175 µg/mL (PK threshold) and free C5 < 0.5 µg/mL (PD threshold). Efficacy endpoints remained stable: mean (standard deviation, SD) LDH percentage change was 0.9% (20.5%); BTH events, 5/128 patients (3.9%); 83.6% achieved transfusion avoidance; 79.7% achieved stabilized hemoglobin. Total TASQ score showed improved satisfaction with SUBQ ravulizumab compared with IV eculizumab (mean [SD] change at SUBQ day 351, - 69.3 [80.1]). The most common AEs during SUBQ treatment (excluding ADEs) were headache (14.1%), COVID-19 (14.1%), and pyrexia (10.9%); the most common ADE unrelated to a device product issue was injection site reaction (4.7%). Although many patients had ≥ 1 device issue-related ADE, full SUBQ dose administration was achieved in 99.9% of attempts. CONCLUSIONS: SUBQ ravulizumab provides an additional treatment choice for patients with PNH. Patients may switch to SUBQ ravulizumab from IV eculizumab or ravulizumab without loss of efficacy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03748823.
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare blood disorder characterized by the destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis) within blood vessels. In addition to hemolysis, patients with PNH are susceptible to life-threatening blood clots (thromboses). Eculizumab and ravulizumab are types of treatments for PNH, called C5 inhibitors. In the blood, these treatments bind to C5 protein and prevent the destruction of red blood cells, reducing the symptoms and complications of PNH. Both treatments are approved for use via intravenous (through the vein) administration. Ravulizumab is also approved in the USA for use via subcutaneous (under the skin) administration. This study compared subcutaneous ravulizumab with intravenous ravulizumab in patients with PNH who had previously been treated with eculizumab. During the initial treatment period of 71 days, 90 patients received subcutaneous ravulizumab and 46 received intravenous ravulizumab. Following this period, all patients received subcutaneous ravulizumab. At day 71, the amount of ravulizumab in the blood of patients taking subcutaneous ravulizumab was no less than in patients taking intravenous ravulizumab and was maintained over 1 year of treatment. Efficacy measures (how well it works) remained stable in patients taking subcutaneous ravulizumab for 1 year and side effects were comparable with those of intravenous ravulizumab. Patients reported more satisfaction with subcutaneous ravulizumab than intravenous eculizumab, as assessed by the Treatment Administration Satisfaction Questionnaire. This study showed that patients with PNH can switch from intravenous eculizumab or ravulizumab to subcutaneous ravulizumab without loss of efficacy. Subcutaneous ravulizumab provides an additional treatment choice for patients with PNH.
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OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of people with persistent COVID in the Basque Country more than a year after the start of the pandemic, in order to understand the health and social impact it has, as well as to detect possible areas for improvement in the care that these people receive in order to develop health programms to support their recovery. METHOD: Qualitative phenomenological study. In-depth interviews will be carried out as a data collection technique until saturation of the discourse. Patients of legal age who present persistent COVID symptomatology with an evolution time of more than 12 weeks were included. Contact with the patients was made through the Basque Long COVID Collective. The interviews were carried out and recorded through the ZOOM application. After the literal transcription of the interviews, the thematic analysis will be carried out, identifying the first units of meaning and assigning codes that will later be grouped into the different categories. RESULTS: 20 patients participated. A total of three main categories emerged from the analysis of the discourses: 1) affecting/impacting patients' quality of life; 2) identifying improvements in healthcare; and 3) comforting aspects. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the significant impact on the quality of life suffered by these people. It is necessary to design health policies that favour a personalised, comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to these patients.
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INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 can be associated with a variety of longer-lasting impairments that can have a significant impact on patients' quality of life (QoL). While this is well described in the literature for limitations in lung capacity or permanent headaches, there is little research on the impact of olfactory dysfunction in the context of COVID-19 on patients' QoL. METHODS: In 65 patients with a history of COVID-19, the present olfactory ability was assessed using the Sniffin' Sticks test. In addition, olfactory QoL was assessed by the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders. Self-assessment was performed with visual analogue scales. The data were compared with the results obtained in healthy individuals and in patients with hyposmia due to other viral infections. RESULTS: The QoL of COVID-19 patients was significantly lower compared to the healthy control group. Even recovered subjects whose olfaction had already returned to the normal range still had a reduced QoL. The severity of the olfactory impairment correlated with the reduction in QoL. However, the olfactory QoL of COVID-19 patients was not worse than that of patients' olfactory loss due to other viral infections. Patients with parosmia had reduced QoL and rated their situation worse than patients without parosmia. CONCLUSION: QoL appears to be impaired in patients with long-lasting COVID-19 olfactory disorders several months after overcoming acute symptoms, even if olfaction has normalized. However, the impairment is not more pronounced than in patients with other postviral olfactory disorders of the same duration.
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BACKGROUND: In a rapidly digitalizing world, the inability of older adults to leverage digital technology has been associated with weaker social connections and poorer health outcomes. Despite the widespread digital adoption in Singapore, older adults, especially those of lower socioeconomic status (SES), still face difficulties in adopting information and communications technology and are typically digitally excluded. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the impact of the volunteer-led, one-on-one, and home-based digital literacy program on digital literacy and health-related outcomes such as self-reported loneliness, social connectedness, quality of life, and well-being for older adults of low SES. METHODS: A nonrandomized controlled study was carried out in Singapore between July 2020 and November 2021 involving 138 digitally excluded community-dwelling older adults aged ≥55 years and of lower SES. Older adults awaiting participation in the program served as controls. Older adults under the intervention were equipped with a smartphone and cellular data, underwent fortnightly to monthly digital literacy training with volunteers to learn digital skills, and digitally connected to their existing social networks. Primary outcome was the improvement in self-reported digital literacy. Secondary outcomes included improvements in University of California, Los Angeles 3-item loneliness scale, Lubben Social Network Scale-6, EQ-5D-3L and EQ visual analogue scale scores, and Personal Wellbeing Score. RESULTS: There were significant improvements in digital literacy scores in the intervention group as compared to controls (mean difference 2.28, 95% CI 1.37-3.20; P<.001). Through multiple linear regression analyses, this difference in digital literacy scores remained independently associated with group membership after adjusting for differences in baseline scores, age, gender, education, living arrangement, housing type, and baseline social connectivity and loneliness status. There was no statistically significant difference in University of California, Los Angeles 3-item loneliness scale, Lubben Social Network Scale-6, Personal Wellbeing Score, or EQ-5D Utility and visual analogue scale score. CONCLUSIONS: This study adds to the growing research on digital inclusion by showing that a volunteer-led, one-on-one, and home-based digital literacy program contributed to increase digital literacy in older adults of low SES. Future studies should look into developing more older adult-friendly digital spaces and technology design to encourage continued digital adoption in older adults and, eventually, impact health-related outcomes.
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Literacy , Quality of Life , Humans , Aged , Singapore , Income , Social ClassABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its associated factors in patients who survived COVID-19 and to assess a prospective evaluation of the prevalence and severity of their depression and anxiety symptoms. METHODS: We followed up a sample of hospitalized patients who survived COVID-19 at 3 and 12 months after discharge. We assessed HRQoL (Euroqol-5D-5L) through telephone interviews. Any problem in any dimension of Euroqol-5D-5L was considered as low HRQoL. The depression and anxiety symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 tools, respectively. We estimated the adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) to low HRQoL using Poisson regression and the changes on their depression and anxiety symptoms during the follow-up. RESULTS: We included 119 patients with a mean follow-up time of 363.6 days. 74% of the participants had low HRQoL at one year after hospital discharge and were associated with being ≥ 41 years old (aPR: 1.95), having a previous history of psychiatric diagnoses before COVID-19 infection (aPR: 1.47), having any COVID-19 symptom during the follow-up at one year (aPR: 1.84), and having a family member who had died from COVID-19 during the first wave (aPR: 1.24). In addition, the clinically relevant depression symptoms were frequent, and they increased from 3 (14.3%) to 12 months (18.5%). CONCLUSION: One year after COVID-19 hospitalization discharge, patients had low HRQoL, and their depression symptoms increased. These findings acknowledge the need to provide services that adequately address mental health sequels and HRQoL to reduce the burden of the COVID-19.
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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a home-based respiratory muscle training programme (inspiratory [IMT] or inspiratory/expiratory muscles [RMT]) supervised by telerehabilitation on quality of life and exercise tolerance in individuals with long-term post-COVID-19 symptoms. The secondary objective was to evaluate the effects of these programmes on respiratory muscle function, physical and lung function, and psychological state. METHODS: 88 individuals with long-term symptoms of fatigue and dyspnoea after COVID-19 diagnosis were randomly (1:1 ratio) assigned to IMT, IMTsham, RMT or RMTsham groups for an 8-week intervention (40min/day, 6 times/week). Primary outcomes were quality of life (EuroQol-5D questionnaire) and exercise tolerance (Ruffier test). Secondary outcomes were respiratory muscle function (inspiratory/expiratory muscle strength; inspiratory muscle endurance), physical function (lower and upper limb strength [1-min Sit-to-Stand and handgrip force]), lung function (forced spirometry), and psychological status (anxiety/depression levels and post-traumatic stress disorder). All outcomes were measured pre-, intermediate- (4th week), and post-intervention. RESULTS: At post-intervention, there was a statistically significant and large (d>0.90) improvement in quality of life, but not in exercise tolerance, in the RMT group compared with the RMTsham group. Both of the real training groups produced a statistically significant and large increase in inspiratory muscle strength and endurance (d≥0.80) and in lower limb muscle strength (d≥0.77) compared with the 2 sham groups. Expiratory muscle strength and peak expiratory flow showed a statistically significant and large (d≥0.87) increase in the RMT group compared with the other 3 groups. CONCLUSION: Only an 8-week supervised home-based RMT programme was effective in improving quality of life, but not exercise tolerance, in individuals with long-term post-COVID-19 symptoms. In addition, IMT and RMT programmes were effective in improving respiratory muscle function and lower limb muscle strength, but had no impact on lung function and psychological status.
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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Dyspnea, fatigue, and reduced exercise tolerance are common in post-COVID-19 patients. In these patients, rehabilitation can improve functional capacity, reduce deconditioning after a prolonged stay in the intensive care unit, and facilitate the return to work. Thus, the present study verified the effects of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation consisting of continuous aerobic and resistance training of moderate-intensity on pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, maximum and submaximal tolerance to exercise, fatigue, and quality of life in post-COVID-19 patients. METHODS: Quasi-experimental study with a protocol of 12 sessions of an outpatient intervention. Adults over 18 years of age (N = 26) with a diagnosis of COVID-19 and hospital discharge at least 15 days before the first evaluation were included. Participants performed moderate-intensity continuous aerobic and resistance training twice a week. Maximal and submaximal exercise tolerance, lung function, respiratory muscle strength, fatigue and quality of life were evaluated before and after the intervention protocol. RESULTS: Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation improved maximal exercise tolerance, with 18.62% increase in peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) and 29.05% in time to reach VO2 peak. VE/VCO2 slope reduced 5.21% after intervention. We also observed increased submaximal exercise tolerance (increase of 70.57 m in the 6-min walk test, p = 0.001), improved quality of life, and reduced perceived fatigue after intervention. DISCUSSION: Patients recovered from COVID-19 can develop persistent dysfunctions in almost all organ systems and present different signs and symptoms. The complexity and variability of the damage caused by this disease can make it difficult to target rehabilitation programs, making it necessary to establish specific protocols. In this work, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation improved lung function, respiratory muscle strength, maximal and submaximal exercise tolerance, fatigue and quality of life. Continuous aerobic and resistance training of moderate intensity proved to be effective in the recovery of post-COVID-19 patients.
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Background: Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is a common symptom of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is defined as the reduced or distorted ability to smell during sniffing (orthonasal olfaction) and represents one of the early symptoms in the clinical course of COVID-19 infection. A large online questionnaire-based survey has shown that some post-COVID-19 patients had no improvement 1 month after discharge from the hospital. Objective: To explore the efficacy of acupuncture for OD in COVID-19 infected patients and to determine whether acupuncture could have benefits over sham acupuncture for OD in post-COVID-19 patients. Methods: This is a single-blind, randomized controlled, cross-over trial. We plan to recruit 40 post-COVID-19 patients with smell loss or smell distortions lasting for more than 1 month. Qualified patients will be randomly allocated to the intervention group (real acupuncture) or the control group (sham acupuncture) at a 1:1 ratio. Each patient will receive 8 sessions of treatment over 4 weeks (Cycle 1) and a 2-week follow-up. After the follow-up, the control group will be subjected to real acupuncture for another 4 weeks (Cycle 2), and the real acupuncture group will undergo the 4-week sham acupuncture. The primary outcomes will be the score changes on the questionnaire of olfactory functioning and olfaction-related quality of life at week 6, 8, 12, and 14 from the baseline. The secondary outcomes will be the changes in the olfactory test score at week 6 and 12 from the baseline measured by using the Traditional Chinese version of the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT-TC). Discussion: The results of this trial will help to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture for OD in post-COVID-19 patients. This may provide a new treatment option for patients.
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Cycling has cut across public health and policy forums in the last decade given trends in urban governance for liveability and uptake of cycling during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review discusses work that helps understand where, how, and why time spent cycling can contribute to health and well-being. The review discusses how cycling geographies offers an alternative to biomedical approaches that measure the risks versus the medical benefits of riding a bike. The paper is structured around three key themes that characterise contemporary cycling geographies (a) cycling and neoliberalism;(b) cycling citizenship;and (c) everyday cycling. The paper argues, these studies have not gone far enough in understanding the relationship between well-being and cycling. To help address this gap the review offers a ‘mobile territories of well-being' framework. To conclude, consideration is given to the policy implications of a cycling geographies research agenda engaging with a mobile territories of well-being framework. © 2022 The Authors. Geography Compass published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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This short review aimed at (i) providing an update on the health benefits associated with melatonin supplementation, while (ii) considering future potential research directions concerning melatonin supplementation use relative to Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). A narrative review of the literature was undertaken to ascertain the effect of exogenous melatonin administration on humans. Night-time melatonin administration has a positive impact on human physiology and mental health. Indeed, melatonin (i) modulates the circadian components of the sleep-wake cycle;(ii) improves sleep efficiency and mood status;(iii) improves insulin sensitivity;and (iv) reduces inflammatory markers and oxidative stress. Melatonin has also remarkable neuroprotective and cardioprotective effects and may therefore prevent deterioration caused by COVID-19. We suggest that melatonin could be used as a potential therapy in the post-COVID-19 syndrome, and therefore call for action the research community to investigate on the potential use of exogenous melatonin to enhance the quality of life in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome.
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This article aims to examine how the border closures due to Covid-19 have impacted the well-being of Pacific peoples. Many women, men and children living on islands around the South Pacific live in households that depend on tourism income to provide for the majority of their cash needs, thus the pandemic has delivered a devastating financial blow to them. Nevertheless, an online survey combined with interviews in five Pacific countries shows that many people have drawn on their traditional skills combined with cultural systems, social capital and access to customary land to ensure that their well-being is maintained despite major decreases in household income. Others, however, have been more vulnerable, struggling with reductions in their mental health and increases in household conflict, for example. As well as this, the research data reveals that there needs to be a consideration of the spiritual aspect of well-being as something that is of deep importance for Pacific peoples and can provide them with great comfort and support during times of shocks. We will elucidate what can be learned from this in terms of planning for more just, sustainable tourism. © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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There are few studies that have evaluated the subjective perception of quality of life related to health in older adults after confinement periods. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate whether the subjective perception of quality of life in elderly were influenced by the contact with the virus, the frequency of physical activity and some indicators of physical-emotional state (stress, pain and happiness). In addition, it was intended to decide which variables were more predictive of this perception of health. The scales of subjective happiness (SHS), subjective perception of health (SF-12), perceived stress (PSS), visual analogue scale of pain (VAS) and free time physical activity questionnaire (VREM) were applied. In this cross-sectional analytical study involving 71 elderly, mean age 63.07±5.49 years. Adults aged between 55 and 75 years;with electronic devices with Internet access and who had given their consent to participate, were included in the study. The results showed that the participants with a lower degree of pain and stress and a higher perception of happiness showed a better subjective perception of quality of life. Furthermore, high scores in happiness (OR=3.244;p<.017) and low scores in pain intensity (OR=12.083;p<.001) were postulated as the main predictors of having an important level of perceived health. In conclusion, the physical-emotional sensations experienced by the elderly during the pandemic are factors that influenced their subjective perception of quality of life related to health. © 2023 Universidad Miguel Hernandez. All rights reserved.
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This study examined the effects of online group art therapy on adults who lost family members using three instruments to measure depression, grief, and quality of life in a randomized controlled trial. Of the thirty-six participants who experienced the death of a family member, 20 were assigned to the experimental group participating in online group art therapy over eight sessions 1-hour once a week, and 16 were assigned to the control group with no intervention. In the experimental group, online group art therapy reduced depression and grief while improving the quality of life. The findings show the promise of online group art therapy in helping adults who have lost family members by relieving psychological distress and enhancing their quality of life. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd
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Objective: To understand the current situation of nurses' professional quality of life in China and its correlation with benefit findings, so as to provide reference for formulating targeted measures to improve nurses' professional quality of life in China. Methods: Questionnaire star was used to conduct a cross-sectional survey of 11 924 registered nurses in China from January 2022 to April 2022 using the General Information Questionnaire, the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) and the General Benefit Discovery Scale (GBFS). SPSS 22.0 software was used for data analysis. Results: The scores of various dimensions of nurses' ProQOL scale were: Compassion satisfaction was (32.71±6.81) points, burnout was (27.38±5.20) points, secondary traumatic stress was (28.44±6.67) points, and the total score of GBFS was (100.90±18.04) points. The results of multiple linear stepwise regression showed that the main influencing factors of compassion satisfaction were marital status, position, work unit level and educational background (P <0.05). The main influencing factors of burnout were position, professional title, work unit level and whether there were children to be taken care of at home (P <0.05). The main influencing factors of secondary traumatic stress were education background, marital status, professional title, whether there was an old person to be taken care of at home, whether to take care of COVID-19 patients, whether to be an epidemic support staff and position (P <0.05). Benefit finding independently predicted the three dimensions of nurses' professional quality of life (P <0.001). Conclusions: Chinese nurses' professional quality of life was at a moderate level and it was significantly affected by benefit finding. Attention should be paid to factors such as marital status, work unit level, position, professional title, education background, whether there was an old person to be taken care of at home, whether to take care of COVID-19 patients, so as to improve the level of nurses' benefit finding, promote their personal growth, provide good job guarantee, and improve Chinese nurses' professional quality of life. © 2023, Editorial department of Chinese Medical Ethics. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: Since its emergence in December 2019, COVID-19 has caused severe morbidity and mortality. Access to healthcare services for individuals with chronic diseases including people living with HIV was disrupted due to many factors such as the density in hospitals and social closure strategies to stop the spread of the pandemic. The aim of this study was to determine whether HIV status and social and medical problems faced by people living with HIV caused anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: Between October 2021 and February 2022, the Beck anxiety scale and a 16-item questionnaire including questions on demographic information was completed by 100 people living with HIV who visited our Çukurova University Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology outpatient clinic and gave consent to be included in the study. Results: Overall, 93 (93%) participants were male and seven (7%) were female, with a mean age of 36 ± 10 years. Among all participants, 44% reported a decrease in their general quality of life, 42.4% reported an increase in the level of anxiety, 33% reported a decrease in access to resources such as money and food, and 13% reported that they had difficulty in paying the rent of their own house. During the pandemic, 11.3% of the participants lost their jobs and 9.1% lost their health insurance;8.1% reported that they became homeless and moved to live with someone else. Access to antiretroviral treatment decreased in 7.2% of the participants, the number of hospital visits were reduced in 33.3%, and 26% reported a reduction in monitoring tests such as HIV RNA. The mean Beck anxiety score, which was used to evaluate the patients' anxiety level, was 12.32 ± 12.35 (min-max= 0-54) and suggested mild anxiety symptoms. Conclusion: The difficulties and problems in the daily lives of individuals living with HIV have deepened with the COVID-19 pandemic. The data we obtained in our study helps us understand the difficulties and anxiety levels of people living with HIV in receiving healthcare.
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Introduction: The COVID pandemic and public health restrictions significantly impacted those living with neurological conditions such as Parkinson's Disease due to the curtailment of therapies. Patients attending a single centre movement disorders clinic reported reduced physical activity and quality of life during the pandemic. This study aimed to assess the impact of pandemic restrictions on Parkinson's Disease symptom severity in people with mild to moderate Parkinson's Disease. Method: A cross-sectional study design with a convenience sample of 20 people living with mild to moderate Parkinson's Disease was adopted. A telephone survey questionnaire was completed to measure changes in symptom severity on the 14 most common Parkinson's Disease symptoms. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: Nineteen participants completed the survey. Participants frequently reported a decline in nine symptoms of Parkinson's Disease;bradykinesia, rigidity, walking, sleep, mood, memory, quality of life and fatigue. Nil changes in freezing were reported. No change was reported in the nonmotor symptoms of constipation, speech and pain in 75, 65 and 95% of participants, respectively. Conclusion: Findings of this study acknowledge the negative impact of restrictions on the motor and nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. Flexibility to access and delivery of service should be considered to mitigate any future potential restrictions.
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Purpose: This practice piece aims to review an occupational therapy led pilot programme – social farming as an intervention option in an adult community mental health setting in Ireland. It will also reflect on the practical implications of delivering the natural surroundings based programme through the COVID-19 pandemic and plans for the future development of such programmes in adult mental health services. Design/methodology/approach: The Occupational Circumstances Assessment Interview Rating Scale (OCAIRS) was used to measure occupational participation (Forsyth, 2005). This was administered with participants' pre and post their participation in the 10-week programme. An internal questionnaire was developed to further capture both the participant and farmer experiences of the social farming programme. Findings: Whilst improvements were noted in a number of OCAIRS domains, it was difficult to identify small changes over a short period of time. The main domains of change were habits, roles, interests and personal causation. The success of the social farming placements was also reflected in the internal questionnaire. The pilot programme has resulted in the further development of the social farming programme and securing of funding for placements for five years. Originality/value: It would be beneficial to consider other standardised assessments that assess quality of life and occupation for future placements. It is also beneficial to consider practical implications in delivering a social farming programme, particularly to those with barriers to transport. It is hoped this paper will contribute to the growing knowledge of social farming as a meaningful therapeutic intervention in mental health occupational therapy practice. © 2022, Deirdre Deegan, Emma Fingleton, Joseph James McEvoy and Kate Quigley.