Intentional strengths interviewing in occupational justice research.

BACKGROUND: Occupational justice research can generate knowledge about societal conditions that support participation in meaningful occupations. This is useful because occupational therapy's human rights goal is to create societal conditions that are conducive to occupational engagement. Participants in this research field are likely to be vulnerable and need special ethical considerations. However, no model exists to support ethical considerations for vulnerable participants in occupational justice research. AIM: This study aimed to develop a model for additional ethical considerations for occupational justice research with vulnerable participants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A secondary analysis was carried out on data from a previous study with asylum seekers. Data included semi-structured interview transcripts with seven asylum seekers, researcher memos, and text from the researcher's written report. Template analysis was employed. RESULTS: The Intentional Strengths Interviewing model was developed. It has three component strategies: strengths-informed interview processes, strengths questioning, and strengths responding. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: This model might be considered in the design of future occupational justice research involving vulnerable participants in order to best support their inclusion. This model might support future occupational justice research and might be evaluated in other contexts.

Occupational therapy students' perceptions of occupational therapy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: An understanding of students' perceptions of occupational therapy on entry is required to recognise how professional socialisation occurs through curriculum. Findings pertain to a qualitative study investigating students' perceptions of occupational therapy upon entry to two occupational therapy programmes in Australia. METHODS: Students commencing Bachelor of Occupational Therapy and Masters of Occupational Therapy Studies programmes participated in the study (n = 462). A purpose-designed questionnaire was distributed to students in the first lecture of each programme. Preliminary analysis comprised identification of keywords/phrases and coding categories were generated from patterns of keywords. Frequency counts and percentages of keywords/phrases within categories were completed. RESULTS: Students' responses were categorised as 'what' occupational therapists do; 'how' they do it; 'why' they do it; and 'who' they work with. In 'what' occupational therapists do students frequently described 'helping' people. Both undergraduate and graduate entry masters students used the term 'rehabilitation' to describe how occupational therapy is done, with graduate entry students occasionally responding with 'through occupation' and 'modifying the environment'. Students perceived the 'why' of occupational therapy as getting back to 'everyday activities', with some students emphasising returning to 'normal' activities or life. Regarding the 'who' category, students also thought occupational therapists worked with people with an 'injury' or 'disability'. CONCLUSIONS: Students entered their occupational therapy programmes with perceptions consistent with the general public's views of occupational therapy. However, graduate entry students exposed to a pre-reading package prior to entry had more advanced occupational therapy concepts than undergraduate students.

Refugee settlement workers' perspectives on home safety issues for people from refugee backgrounds.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Refugees experience higher levels of emotional, psychological and physical distress than the general migrant population during settlement in a new country. Safety in the home can be a major concern and is an issue of which occupational therapists should be aware. Occupational therapists working with refugees in many contexts feel unprepared and overwhelmed. As refugee settlement workers attend to home safety of refugees during the settlement process, this study aimed to develop an in-depth understanding of their perceptions of this issue. Such information can contribute to occupational therapists' knowledge and practice when working with refugees. METHODS: An exploratory qualitative case study approach used 16 semi-structured interviews and observation of a settlement worker assisting newly arrived refugees. Participants were settlement service staff (an occupational therapist, case coordinators and cultural support workers). RESULTS: Three themes are reported: considerations for safety in the homes of refugees; factors influencing home safety for refugees; and sensitivity to culture. Participants described tailoring home safety-related services to each individual based on factors that influence home safety and sensitivity to culture. CONCLUSION: Awareness of home safety issues can increase cultural competence and inform practice and policy.