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Article
Publication date: 1 April 2020

Development of occupational therapy in Grangegorman hospital, Dublin: 1934-1954

Rebecca Cahill and Judith Pettigrew

In the early to mid-twentieth century, psychiatrist-led occupational therapy departments emerged in Irish psychiatric hospitals. This marked a transition towards…

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Abstract

Purpose

In the early to mid-twentieth century, psychiatrist-led occupational therapy departments emerged in Irish psychiatric hospitals. This marked a transition towards establishing rehabilitative services in institutional settings. This paper aims to examine the development of occupational therapy in Grangegorman Mental Hospital and its auxiliary hospital, Portrane Mental Hospital from 1934-1954.

Design/methodology/approach

Historical documentary research methods were used to analyse primary source data from Grangegorman Committee Minutes, Inspector of Mental Hospital Reports, Boroughs of Mental Hospitals, Department of Foreign Affairs documents and newspaper archives. The archival data was analysed using both a chronological and thematic approach.

Findings

The main key event emerged in 1935 when four Grangegorman nursing staff were sent to Cardiff Mental Hospital to undergo a six month training course in occupational therapy. The following themes emerged – “establishing occupational therapy in Grangegorman and Portrane”; “the role of short-course trained nursing staff in providing occupational therapy services” and “therapeutic rationales vs hospital management rationales”.

Originality/value

This study throws light on the early practitioners of occupational therapy in Grangegorman and highlights the complexities of occupational therapy’s role origins in mid-twentieth century Ireland. In line with contemporaneous psychiatric hospitals, the occupational therapy activities promoted in Grangegorman were mainly handicraft or productivity based. The absence of patients’ voices means there are limitations to determining the therapeutic nature of this early occupational therapy service.

Details

Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy, vol. 48 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOT-10-2019-0013
ISSN: 2398-8819

Keywords

  • Ireland
  • Mental health
  • History of occupational therapy

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Article
Publication date: 3 April 2017

Major trends in the use of occupation as therapy in Ireland 1863-1963

Judith Pettigrew, Katie Robinson, Brid Dunne and Jennifer O' Mahoney

Major gaps exist in the documented history of occupational therapy in Ireland. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to filling these gaps by providing an overview of…

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Abstract

Purpose

Major gaps exist in the documented history of occupational therapy in Ireland. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to filling these gaps by providing an overview of three major transitions in Irish occupational therapy in the century preceding the opening of St. Joseph?s College of Occupational Therapy in 1963. Research on occupational therapy’s past is valuable not only for recording and commemorating key events and individuals but also for allowing reflection on and questioning of contemporary practice and assumptions.

Design/methodology/approach

This descriptive paper draws on multiple documentary sources to present an overview of the first 100 years of the use of occupation as therapy/occupational therapy in Ireland from 1863 to 1963.

Findings

Three major transitions in occupational therapy in Ireland are presented: from moral treatment and the use of occupation as therapy to medical patronage of occupational therapy, from medical patronage to the early/pre-professional era and finally from the pre-professional era to the era of professionally qualified occupational therapists. To illustrate these transitions, a small number of individuals and their contributions are discussed including Dr Eamon O’Sullivan, Dr Ada English, Donal Kelly, Olga Gale and Ann Beckett.

Originality/value

This paper charts the foundations upon which the currently thriving profession of occupational therapy are built. The Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland recently celebrated their 50th anniversary (AOTI, 2015a), and in 2017, it is 100 years since occupational therapy was formalised in Clifton Springs, New York, USA. Occupational therapy is a relatively young profession, and great opportunities exist to research its history in Ireland to capture the memories and experiences of the pioneers who laid the foundation of the profession as well as to situate the development of the profession in the broader social, cultural and scientific contexts within which it developed.

Details

Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy, vol. 45 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOT-02-2017-0007
ISSN: 2398-8819

Keywords

  • Ireland
  • Occupational therapy

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Article
Publication date: 10 April 2017

Social enterprise: a model of recovery and social inclusion for occupational therapy practice in the UK

Anna Joy Stickley and Kelly J. Hall

Occupational therapists are increasingly working in organisations outside of the public sector. UK government policy over the past decade has promoted health and social…

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Abstract

Purpose

Occupational therapists are increasingly working in organisations outside of the public sector. UK government policy over the past decade has promoted health and social care provision by social enterprises. The purpose of this paper is to examine the compatibility of occupational therapy practice and a social enterprise environment, within the UK and questions if this approach may enhance experiences of social inclusion for people who use these services.

Design/methodology/approach

Case study methodology was used with eight social enterprises in the UK. Data were collected through: semi-structured interviews, formal organisational documents, and field visits and observations. Interviews were conducted with 26 participants who were occupational therapists, service users and social entrepreneurs/managers. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

Occupational therapists experienced job satisfaction, professional autonomy and were able to practise according to their professional philosophy. Service users valued support with: employment, routine, social relationships, and developing a sense of identity, particularly outside of a medical model definition. To a degree therefore, people using these services claimed socially inclusive benefits. Challenges with funding social enterprises, however, impacted occupational therapy delivery in some cases.

Research limitations/implications

The majority of social enterprise research is drawn from case study methodology; however, this was the most appropriate research design to gain greatest insight into a small but developing phenomenon. Further research into occupational therapy practice within social enterprises is required, particularly on the effectiveness of returning to work and social inclusion.

Social implications

Social enterprises can provide therapeutic environments to promote recovery and social inclusion which is also compatible with occupational therapy practice.

Originality/value

This is the first known national research into occupational therapy provision in social enterprises within the UK, which evidences a compatibility within occupational therapy practice within a social enterprise environment and the benefits of this.

Details

Mental Health and Social Inclusion, vol. 21 no. 2
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-01-2017-0002
ISSN: 2042-8308

Keywords

  • Social enterprise
  • Social inclusion
  • Recovery
  • Occupational therapy

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Article
Publication date: 3 April 2017

Apprehension and interest: Therapist and student views of the role emerging placement model in the Republic of Ireland

Esther Linnane and Alison Warren

Role-emerging placements have been used internationally within occupational therapy education but are relatively new to Ireland. At times, there has been a debate in the…

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Abstract

Purpose

Role-emerging placements have been used internationally within occupational therapy education but are relatively new to Ireland. At times, there has been a debate in the profession regarding the use of this placement model. This paper aims to generate views from both occupational therapists and occupational therapy students on the use of role-emerging placements in the Republic of Ireland.

Design/methodology/approach

Electronic surveys were administered to occupational therapy students and occupational therapists in Ireland. Quantitative data were analysed using the SPSS Statistics software package and the content of the open question responses were analysed into themes.

Findings

Occupational therapists (n = 60) and occupational therapy students (n = 45) indicated that there were inconsistent views surrounding role-emerging placements. It is deemed as an effective method for student learning, but apprehension exists around inclusion within occupational therapy programmes in the Republic of Ireland. Preference was indicated towards inclusion of role-emerging placements on a part-time basis within formal occupational therapy education.

Originality/value

Both respondent groups viewed that role-emerging placements can positively influence new areas of occupational therapy practice and concern over the use of the placement model requires further exploration and debate. This study is from an Irish context, although there are similarities with other countries’ use of the placement model. There is a need for research through an in-depth exploration of the learning experience of undertaking role-emerging placements from the students’ perspective and identification of supports required to promote an optimal learning experience.

Details

Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy, vol. 45 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOT-01-2017-0002
ISSN: 2398-8819

Keywords

  • Occupational therapy
  • Education

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Article
Publication date: 3 April 2018

A case study of the development of occupational therapy at St. Patrick’s Hospital Dublin, 1935-1969

Bríd D. Dunne, Katie Robinson and Judith Pettigrew

This paper aims to examine the relationship between psychiatry and occupational therapy in Ireland through a case study of the development of the occupational therapy…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the relationship between psychiatry and occupational therapy in Ireland through a case study of the development of the occupational therapy department in St. Patrick’s Hospital, Dublin, from 1935 to 1969. Patronage by psychiatrists was an important factor in the professionalisation of occupational therapy internationally.

Design/methodology/approach

Documentary sources and oral history interviews were analysed to conduct an instrumental case study of occupational therapy at St. Patrick’s Hospital from 1935 to 1969.

Findings

The research identified key individuals associated with the development of occupational therapy at St. Patrick’s Hospital, including psychiatrist Norman Moore, occupational therapy worker Olga Gale, occupational therapist Margaret Sinclair, and social therapist Irene Violet Grey. Occupational therapy was considered by the hospital authorities to be “an important part in the treatment of all types of psychiatric illness” (Board Meeting Minutes, 1956). It aimed to develop patient’s self-esteem and facilitate social participation. To achieve these objectives, patients engaged in activities such as dances, arts and crafts, and social activities.

Originality/value

This study has highlighted the contributions of key individuals, identified the links between occupational therapy and psychiatry, and provided an insight into the development of the profession in Ireland prior to the establishment of occupational therapy education in 1963. Occupational therapy practice at St. Patrick’s Hospital from 1935 to 1969 was congruent with the prevailing philosophy of occupational therapy internationally, which involved treatment through activities to enhance participation in society.

Details

Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy, vol. 46 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOT-11-2017-0025
ISSN: 2398-8819

Keywords

  • Ireland
  • Psychiatry
  • History of occupational therapy

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Article
Publication date: 4 February 2014

Development of an information management knowledge transfer framework for evidence-based occupational therapy

Anita Louise Hamilton, Jo Coldwell-Neilson and Annemieke Craig

Digital technology has changed how people interact with information and each other. Being able to access and share information ensures healthcare practitioners can keep…

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Abstract

Purpose

Digital technology has changed how people interact with information and each other. Being able to access and share information ensures healthcare practitioners can keep abreast of new and ever changing information and improve services. The purpose of this paper is to present an information management-knowledge transfer (IM-KT) framework which emerged from a study looking at digital literacy in the occupational therapy profession.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was undertaken in three stages. First an in-depth literature review was undertaken, which enabled the creation of an initial conceptual framework which in turn, informed the second stage of the research: the development of a survey about the use of digital technologies. Occupational therapy students, academics and practitioners across five different countries completed the survey, after which refinements to the framework were made. The IM-KT framework presented in this paper emerged as a result of the third stage of the study, which was completed using the Delphi technique where 18 experts were consulted over four rounds of qualitative questionnaires.

Findings

The IM-KT framework assists individuals and groups to better understand how information management and knowledge transfer occurs. The framework highlights the central role of information literacy and digital literacy and the influence of context on knowledge transfer activities.

Originality/value

The IM-KT framework delineates clearly between information and knowledge and demonstrates the essential role of information literacy and digital literacy in the knowledge era. This framework was developed for the occupational therapy profession and may be applicable to other professions striving to keep up to date with best evidence.

Details

VINE: The journal of information and knowledge management systems, vol. 44 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/VINE-12-2012-0051
ISSN: 0305-5728

Keywords

  • Information literacy
  • Evidence-based practice
  • Occupational therapy
  • Digital literacy
  • Knowledge transfer
  • Information management

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Article
Publication date: 7 May 2019

A qualitative study of Irish parents’ views on hippotherapy, including its influence on their children’s home-based occupations

Rachel O’Mahony, Emma Connolly and Patrick Hynes

Hippotherapy is an emerging area of paediatric occupational therapy practice in Ireland. It is a treatment strategy used by specially trained occupational therapy…

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Abstract

Purpose

Hippotherapy is an emerging area of paediatric occupational therapy practice in Ireland. It is a treatment strategy used by specially trained occupational therapy practitioners, physical therapists and speech language pathologists as part of the intervention programme to facilitate functional gains. This paper aims to explore parents’ perspectives on children’s participation in home-based occupations following hippotherapy treatment.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight participants. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. In accordance with thematic analysis, line-by-line coding was completed to identify codes. Codes were organised into categories, which were grouped to develop themes.

Findings

Three core themes were identified: lack of knowledge regarding hippotherapy as an occupational therapy intervention; children’s increased participation in home-based occupations secondary to improved physical, psychological, communication and social skills; and the unique hippotherapy environment as a motivating factor for children to engage in occupational therapy intervention.

Originality/value

Findings from this study support the growing body of evidence that hippotherapy is an effective means of intervention for increasing physical, psychological, social and communication skills. The participants report positive effects following hippotherapy on their children’s participation in home-based occupations. It highlights a link between the unique hippotherapy environment and children’s increased engagement in occupational therapy. Given that no published hippotherapy-specific literature related to occupational therapy exists in the Irish context, and given that hippotherapy is an emerging area of practice in Ireland, this paper contributes to the knowledge base.

Details

Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy, vol. 47 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOT-11-2018-0018
ISSN: 2398-8819

Keywords

  • Hippotherapy
  • Home-base occupation
  • Children with disabilities
  • Occupational therapy

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Article
Publication date: 1 December 2008

How occupational therapists assess adults with learning disabilities

Jo Dwyer and Judith Reep

Occupational therapists are concerned with how people perform across the various daily activities that are important to them. It is recognised within occupational therapy…

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Abstract

Occupational therapists are concerned with how people perform across the various daily activities that are important to them. It is recognised within occupational therapy that the presence of illness or disability might affect this performance.In order to assess how a person complete a task and identify what is making it unsatisfying, the occupational therapist will observe the person engaged in familiar activities. The Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) provides a standardised framework within which to make these observations. We have found the AMPS to be useful in assessing the performance of people with learning disabilities generally, as well as in assessing those with additional mental illness.We recognise that occupational therapy assessment plays a useful part in a wider multi‐professional, multi‐agency approach to identifying and managing the needs of people with learning disabilities.

Details

Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, vol. 2 no. 4
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/17530180200800034
ISSN: 1753-0180

Keywords

  • Occupational therapy
  • Assessments
  • Learning disabilities
  • Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS)

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Article
Publication date: 1 August 2008

Occupational therapy ‐ its contribution to social inclusion and recovery

Hilary Dowling and Ailsa Hutchinson

Occupational therapy is a crucial part of the recovery agenda and social inclusion for people who experience mental ill health. Occupational therapists strive to support…

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Abstract

Occupational therapy is a crucial part of the recovery agenda and social inclusion for people who experience mental ill health. Occupational therapists strive to support individuals to realise their potential by enabling them to participate in and contribute to society. Increasing someone's confidence by involvement with voluntary groups, work or training helps recovery. The importance and potential contribution of occupational therapy can be misunderstood or overlooked.

Details

A Life in the Day, vol. 12 no. 3
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/13666282200800023
ISSN: 1366-6282

Keywords

  • Occupational therapy
  • Social inclusion
  • Recovery
  • Vocation
  • Work placements

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Article
Publication date: 3 April 2018

Teachers’ perspectives on handwriting and collaborative intervention for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Therese McNamee and Sandra Patton

This study aims to investigate teacher perspectives on teaching handwriting to children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and collaboration with occupational therapists.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate teacher perspectives on teaching handwriting to children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and collaboration with occupational therapists.

Design/methodology/approach

A descriptive design was applied. Purpose-designed surveys were distributed to teachers of children with ASD (aged 4-12 years) in the Republic of Ireland. A response rate of 35 per cent (N = 75) was obtained, with 25 responses analysed using descriptive statistics of closed questions and content analysis of open-ended questions.

Findings

Of 139 children with ASD, 80 (58 per cent) were reported to have difficulties with handwriting. Teachers reported specific difficulties with pencil grasp, letter formation and task concept among the children with ASD. Fourteen (56 per cent, N = 25) respondents did not give handwriting as homework. Teachers valued occupational therapy advice, individualised programmes and ongoing consultation during implementation. Interest in occupational therapy education regarding handwriting was reported.

Practical implications

Occupational therapy collaboration to address handwriting difficulties for children with ASD should include involvement in teacher education, coordination of teacher–parent collaboration and the need for involvement in early intervention provision within an emergent literacy framework.

Originality/value

Handwriting development is challenging for children with ASD. There is limited information on teaching or teacher–occupational therapy collaborative practices to address handwriting difficulties of children with ASD.

Details

Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy, vol. 46 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOT-12-2017-0026
ISSN: 2398-8819

Keywords

  • Occupational therapy
  • Autistic Spectrum Disorder
  • Teacher
  • Handwriting

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