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Purpose: Chronic mental illness disrupts the ability to work, often resulting in the need for vocational rehabilitation in which occupational therapists play a role. Namibia does not have an occupational therapy vocational rehabilitation practice framework for service users with chronic mental illness. This study explored the contextual factors that should be considered for a vocational rehabilitation practice framework in Namibia. Materials and methods: A qualitative collective case study design was utilized. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine mental health service providers that were purposively selected from two study sites. An inductive thematic analysis of data was done using ATLAS.ti. Results: The need for collaborative advocacy for service users to raise awareness and engage stakeholders such as family members, employers and policy makers was highlighted. Vocational rehabilitation resources needed include sheltered workshops, financial resources and trained human resources. Recognition that vocational rehabilitation services are too limited to meet the needs of mental health service users. A vocational rehabilitation policy and strategy is required. Supported employment and self-employment are potential strategies that should be considered. Conclusion: Vocational rehabilitation for service users with chronic mental illness is limited in Namibia and there is a need to collaboratively improve the service. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Occupational therapists should collaboratively advocate for vocational rehabilitation of mental health service users in low-income and middle-income countries such as Namibia Occupational therapists should employ a human rights approach to vocational rehabilitation with emphasis on promotion of reasonable accommodation of service users in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Unemployment and restricted work opportunities for youth are enduring social challenges that affect health, well-being, and quality of life, especially in low- to middle-income countries. When considering the advantages associated with work as a determinant of health, unemployment is understood to contribute to occupational injustice. However, self-employment, hailed the solution to youth unemployment, is often necessity-driven, precarious in nature and restricted by the low success rate of business start-ups. OBJECTIVE: Research was undertaken to explore factors perceived to contribute to the success of start-up businesses in an informal settlement in the Western Cape of South Africa. The importance of support in the success of business start-ups will be the focus of this article. METHODS: A collective case study, using narrative interviewing and - analysis, was undertaken in South Africa. Two narrative interviews were conducted with each of the five participants who were youth entrepreneurs and founders of start-up businesses. Data analysis comprised the use of narrative analysis and paradigmatic type narrative analysis. RESULTS: Three themes captured factors deemed to have contributed to the success of start-up businesses. The vital role of support systems and networks in business success was demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: Support systems included family, friends, role models, mentors, team members and business partners. Identification, utilization, and ongoing development of support structures available in the social networks of young entrepreneurs were perceived to have contributed to the success of start-ups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The article reports the healing elements of an eclectic life skills programme (ELSP) from the perspective of group members. An ELSP utilising open groups was developed to manage clients with mixed diagnostic profiles and different stages of recovery simultaneously. The aim was to explore the healing elements of an ELSP. Methods: Maximum variation purposive sampling was used to select six participants for the phenomenological inquiry. Data collection is comprised of observations, semistructured interviews, and reflective journals. Data analysis comprised an inductive thematic analysis. Consumer Involvement: Participants all attended groups offered within the ELSP. They participated in two semistructured interviews: the first interview in the week following admission and the second just before discharge. In addition, they documented their experiences in reflective journals for the duration of their participation. Findings: The analogy of a kaleidoscope portrayed the four themes; three pertained to structural dynamics, namely, programme mirror, facilitator mirror, and mirror of other group members. The fourth theme, namely, the magical pattern, pertained to personal sense‐making by individual group members. Conclusions: The dynamic interplay of healing factors, captured in the themes, facilitated healing. Self‐reflection was integral to the creation of a bespoke, facilitated self‐learning process with direct application in group members' own lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Globally, persons with disabilities are faced with unemployment and reduced income opportunities. Barriers to employment tend to be severe for women with disabilities who occupy marginalized positions in labor markets. 'Livelihood occupations' are conceptualized for this review to denote everyday activities that are done for subsistence and survival, and to broaden presentations of activities normally termed 'work', 'employment', 'job' or 'productivity' that people do to earn money and non-monetary gain. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review, undertaken as part of a broader interpretive phenomenological analysis of livelihood occupations of women with disabilities, maps research on the subject of livelihood occupations for women with disabilities. METHODS: The Arksey and O'Malley framework and PRISMA extension for scoping reviews were utilized to guide the five stage scoping strategy used to screen and select sources. Data from selected sources were synthesized using deductive qualitative content analysis to fit experiential components into equity categories determined a-priori from the Equitable Total Rewards model, to determine if these experiences connote equity or lack thereof. RESULTS: Nineteen sources, mainly from high income countries, are identified. Aspects of benefit and career inequity were largely evident in the experiences of the women across all sources. CONCLUSION: There is considerable lack of research on experiences of livelihood occupations in low and middle income countries contexts justifying further research. Women with disabilities report experiencing inability to realize career goals and occupational choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Published play knowledge predominantly originates outside Africa. This review was undertaken to summarize sources on play originating from the continent of Africa. Objective: To locate and summarize sources on the use and value of play in human development and learning from the African continent. Material and method: Following the PRISMA Extension - Scoping Reviews guidelines, the initial search yielded 17,004 sources. Title and abstract screening identified 263 sources which were evaluated for eligibility namely; sources originating from the African continent, in any language, focussing on play as occupation. Results: A total of 127 sources were included; 76 qualitative, 28 quantitative and 23 mixed design sources; 100 from Southern Africa. Nine themes emerged: Who plays, why, where and how individuals play, intentional use of play, play and adult-related work skills, what is used in play, time/duration of play and barriers to play. Conclusions: Play was used effectively in human development and learning. Withholding play as a form of discipline, emphasized how adults and children valued play. Adults still loved playing. Safety concerns contributed to the reasons play occurred indoors more than outdoors, despite outdoor play being preferred. Significance: The review provides a reference for play as an occupation which may promote learning and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To review the evidence of supported employment interventions in low-to-middle income countries, documents their impact for persons with mental disorders in the open labour market and well as support decision making for its wider implementation in the workplace. Design: The scoping review is conducted following guidelines in the Arksey and O'Malley (2005) Framework. Data sources and eligibility: Eleven databases which are PubMed, Scopus, Academic Search Premier, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Africa-Wide Information, Humanities International Complete, Web of Science, PsychInfo, SocINDEX, Open Grey and Sabinet were searched for articles published between January 2006 and January 2022. Both peer-reviewed articles and grey literature were eligible if they were on supported employment interventions in low-to-middle income countries. Only articles published in English were included. Study appraisal and synthesis: Articles were screened at title, abstract and full article levels by two independent teams with the use of Rayyan software. Deductive thematic analysis was used to synthesize evidence on the supported employment interventions implemented in LMICs, capturing evidence of their outcomes for persons with mental disabilities securing competitive work. Results: The search yielded 7347 records and after screening by title and abstract, 188 studies were eligible for full article screening. Eight studies were included in this scoping review. Thematic descriptions of the findings were based on the availability of supported employment interventions within the context, the type of supported employment interventions as well as mental health and vocational outcomes in the workplace. Conclusions: There is limited evidence of supported employment interventions in low-to-middle income countries despite the promising potential it has as an intervention to address mental health problems in the workplace and facilitate work participation by persons with mental disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire has been translated and cross-culturally adapted to Afrikaans for the Western Cape, within the public health service context of South Africa. The aim of this study was to evaluate structural validity, internal consistency, and cross-cultural validity/measurement invariance of this new translation to increase applicability and clinical utility in a public health service context. Methods: During this cross-sectional study, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with parallel analysis and oblimin rotation. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and multiple group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) to assess cross-cultural validity/measurement invariance, was employed to test model fit with X2 goodness-of-fit statistic, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) and comparative fit index (CFI). Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach's alpha. Results: 109 women and 110 men (n = 219) completed the Afrikaans for the Western Cape and the South African English DASH questionnaire, used during the analysis. Unidimensionality of the Afrikaans for the Western Cape DASH questionnaire was not supported in the 218 questionnaires eligible for inclusion in the analysis [X2 (df) = 1799.10 (405); p value = < 0.01; RMSEA (90% CI) = 0.126 (0.120–0.132); SRMR = 0.09 and CFI = 0.984]. EFA revealed a two-factor structure with Eigenvalues exceeding one explaining 55% and 7% of the variance. The two-factor structure of the Afrikaans for the Western Cape DASH questionnaire was supported during CFA. Cronbach's alpha revealed good internal consistency of both factors [factor 1 = 0.97 (0.96, 0.97) and factor 2 = 0.92 (0.90, 0.94)]. MGCFA conducted between 218 Afrikaans for the Western Cape DASH and 219 South African English DASH questionnaires (N = 437) revealed that the data supports configural, metric and scalar invariance models during initial model fit assessment. Subsequent hypotheses testing comparing the nested models revealed that scalar invariance holds. Conclusion: The Afrikaans for the Western Cape DASH questionnaire revealed a two-factor structure with good internal consistency across the two factors and demonstrated measurement invariance with the South African English DASH questionnaire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unmet community mobility needs of older adults, published since the announcement of the UN sustainable development goals was synthesised to describe the health equity characteristics of research identifying unmet community mobility needs of older adults.Methods: Searches were conducted in March and April 2020, 2275 articles were screened and 100 identified for data extraction.Results: Findings showed underrepresentation of articles considering rural settings [9%] and originating in the global South [14%]. Gender, disability, education, and transport / driving were identified as key health equity characteristics and only 10 articles provided detail on all four of these. External factors inhibiting community mobility included built environments, service availability, and societal attitudes. Internal factors included finances, fear and apprehension, and functional limitations.Conclusions: The need for standardised reporting of participant characteristics in the community mobility of older adults was highlighted. These characteristics are required by research consumers to judge equity dimensions, and the extent to which findings represent minority or marginalised groups. 15 after the UN pledge to reduce inequalities, peer reviewed primary research does not reflect a global drive to end discrimination, exclusion and reduce the inequalities and vulnerabilities that leave people behind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: A high number of breast cancer survivors need to resume work. Therefore, interventions aimed at effective work-related transitions are important. OBJECTIVE: A systematic review to determine what occupational therapy interventions are effective in work-related transitions of breast cancer survivors. METHODS: Multiple databases were searched for studies on work-related interventions within the scope of occupational therapy. Studies were included if 70% or more study participants were working age (> 18 years) breast cancer survivors, and work-related transition outcome measures were used. RESULTS: The search yielded 2 872 articles, of which 12 met the inclusion criteria. When classified according to the International Classification of Function Framework, quantitative sources focussed on Body Structures and Functions component and Multicomponents (consists of the Body Structures and Functions Component and the Activities Component) showed positive effects on improving the work-related transitions of BC survivors, however, the effects were statistically insignificant and the strength of evidence was moderate. Participants in a qualitative source reported that after they underwent a physical exercise programme their work performance improved. A Multicomponents intervention study showed statistically significant improvements on self-reported work-related outcomes of BC survivors. Low evidence was found for implementing a vocational rehabilitation case management programme targeting the Activities component, which showed positive effects in reducing the sick leave days of BC survivors, but the effects were statistically insignificant. No evidence was found for programmes focussed on restoring the Participation component. CONCLUSION: The evidence included in this systematic review were insufficient to recommend occupational therapy interventions that are effective (showing statistically significant improvements) for work-related transitions of BC cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Work‐related transitions following serious hand injury can be complex for people with hand injuries and rehabilitation professionals supporting the return‐to‐work process. This study explored South African occupational therapy practice related to work transitions after a serious hand injury. Methods: In this collective case study, maximum variation sampling was used to select seven occupational therapists involved in facilitating work‐related transitions for people with serious hand injuries. Participants selected at least five cases that illustrated the breadth of their practice in terms of work transitions; these cases formed the focus of the semi‐structured interviews. Data were analysed using inductive content analysis. Exemplar quotations were extracted to support emergent key themes. Results: There was one overarching theme—Ongoing appraisal of the fit between function and inherent work demands—which comprised three stages: (1) determining and facilitating readiness to work; (2) managing the risk and trauma of returning to work, and (3) implementing reasonable accommodation. The central theme comprised six strategies that were used to optimise the transition process and achieve the best possible outcome. Conclusion: The study highlighted the importance of work‐related transitions that are context‐driven, flexible, and involve multiple stakeholders. The occupational therapists demonstrated how they drew on their knowledge of local contexts to solve problems and generate effective individual strategies over the rehabilitation period. The findings may be applicable to other low‐ or middle‐income countries where the return‐to‐work process may not be as predictable as high‐income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from student to occupational therapist for new graduates has been described as a period of extreme stress and anxiety; novice therapists enter a world that is new and complex upon starting clinical practice. The first locally-trained occupational therapists in Ghana worked autonomously and in a self-directed manner from their first year of practice in a country where occupational therapy had not been established. The study sought to explore the transition from student to clinician, made by the first cohort of locally trained occupational therapists in Ghana. An interpretive phenomenology approach was used to explore participants' experiences of their transition from occupational therapy students to clinicians in Ghana. Six participants were selected using purposive, maximum variation, sampling. Data were collected by means of in-depth interviews and analysed using an iterative, inductive approach. Four themes emerged: Being 'new' in a new profession, introducing occupational therapy into a new environment, Personal and professional competence, and 'The future is bright'. New graduates found continued professional development activities, such as additional reading, seminars and conferences, essential for successful transition into practice. The importance of supervision and mentorship was highlighted in the study. Explicit attention to factors that support assimilation of new graduates within health care facilities were highlighted. The importance of continued professional development in development of practice competencies was foregrounded. Strategies to facilitate multi-professional work were demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persons with disabilities experience higher unemployment rates and limited participation in work. Occupational therapy can promote participation and engagement in work by persons with disabilities. However, there is no clarity on the required set of competencies for entry-level occupational therapists with a bachelor's degree to start up and participate in inter-sectoral work practice initiatives in Zimbabwe. To explore what work practice competencies entry-level occupational therapists require to meet the work-related needs of persons with disabilities. This exploratory qualitative research sought to explore what professional competencies entry-level occupational therapists required for them to offer collaborative inter-sectoral work practice initiatives for persons with disabilities within the Zimbabwean context. Six participants selected using criterion sampling, participated in semi-structured interviews. Inductive content analysis was conducted. The Stellenbosch Health Research Ethics Committee and Medical Rehabilitation Practitioner's Council of Zimbabwe gave ethical clearance and permissions to conduct the study. Three themes; core knowledge for work practice, skills for work practice and occupational therapy professional attributes; emerged. These were used in formulation of ten professional competency statements for occupational therapists offering work practice services. Although Zimbabwean occupational therapists require similar competencies for work practice as those required in other countries, additional competencies that fall outside traditional health care contexts are essential in order to promote contextually relevant practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When patient-reported measures are translated and cross-culturally adapted into any language, the process should conclude with cognitive interviewing during pretesting. This article reports on translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire into Afrikaans (for the Western Cape). This qualitative component of a clinical measurement, longitudinal study was aimed at the pretesting and cognitive interviewing of the prefinal Afrikaans (for the Western Cape) DASH questionnaire highlighting the iterative nature thereof. Twenty-two females and eight males with upper limb conditions were recruited to participate at public health care facilities in the Western Cape of South Africa. Cognitive interviews were conducted as a reparative approach with an iterative process through retrospective verbal probing during a debriefing session with 30 participants once they answered all 30 items of the translated DASH questionnaire. The sample included Afrikaans-speaking persons from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with low levels of education and employment (24 of 30 were unemployed). Pragmatic factors and measurement issues were addressed during the interviews. This study provides confirmation that both pragmatic factors and measurement issues need consideration in an iterative process as part of a reparative methodology towards improving patient-reported measures and ensuring strong content validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction To become a competent health professional, the nature of new graduates’ transition plays a fundamental role. The systematic integrative review will aim to identify the existing literature pertaining to the barriers during transition, the facilitators and the evidencebased coping strategies that assist new graduate health professionals to successfully transition from students to health professionals. Methods and analysis The integrative review will be conducted using Whittemore and Knafl’s integrative review methodology. Boolean search terms have been developed in consultation with an experienced librarian, using Medical Subject Heading terms on Medline. The following electronic databases have been chosen to ensure that all relevant literature are captured for this review: PubMed, EBSCOhost (including Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medline, Academic Search Premier, Health Science: Nursing and Academic Edition), Scopus and Web of Science. A follow-up on the reference list of selected articles will be done to ensure that all relevant literature is included. The Covidence platform will be used to facilitate the process. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for this integrative review since the existing literature will be synthesised. The integrative review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal once all the steps have been completed. The findings will also be presented at international and national conferences to ensure maximum dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Unemployment rates are generally higher among persons with mental disabilities who experience many barriers and challenges that limit their participation in work and employment. Occupational therapy can play a key role in promoting participation and engagement in work by persons with mental disabilities. OBJECTIVE: This review sought to identify the barriers and facilitators to work participation for persons with mental disabilities globally in comparison to Zimbabwe, and to identify the competencies related to work practice in occupational therapy curricula internationally and regionally. METHODS: A narrative literature review was conducted using the SALSA (Search, Appraisal, Synthesis and Analysis) framework which informed retrieval and analysis of articles published between 2012 and 2018. RESULTS: Fifty-one out of 227 articles were selected to inform the review. A synthesis of the literature provided insights and ideas on facilitators and barriers to work for persons with mental disabilities and the competencies related to work practice in occupational therapy curricula. CONCLUSION: Barriers to participation in work for persons with mental disabilities are real. However, occupational therapists from different contexts have a variety of competencies to facilitate participation in work. There is a need to develop work practice competencies particular to the Zimbabwean context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Employment is good for physical and mental health, however people with severe mental illness (SMI) are often excluded from employment. Standard Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is effective in supporting around 55% of people with SMI into employment or education. Current research considers enhancements to IPS to improve outcomes for those requiring more complex interventions. Clinicians need to better understand who will benefit from these enhanced IPS interventions. This study offers a new enhanced IPS intervention and an approach to predicting who may achieve successful outcomes. Methods: This prospective cohort study included people with SMI who participated in an enhanced IPS service and had prolonged absence from employment. Secondary data analysis was conducted of data gathered in routine clinical practice. Univariate analysis coupled with previous research and clinical consultation was used to select variables to be included in the initial model, followed by a backward stepwise approach to model building for the final multiple logistic regression model with an outcome of successful or unsuccessful goal attainment (employment or education). Results: Sixty-three percent of participants in the enhanced IPS successfully attained employment or education. Significant relationships from bivariate analyses were identified between outcomes (employment or education) and seven psychosocial variables. Adapting Routines to Minimise Difficulties, Work Related Goals, and Living in an Area of Lesser Deprivation were found to be significant in predicting employment or education in the final multiple logistic regression model R2 = 0.16 (Hosmer-Lemeshow), 0.19 (Cox-Snell), 0.26 (Nagelkerke). Model χ2(7) = 41.38 p <.001. Conclusion: An enhanced IPS service had a 63% rate success in achieving employment or education, higher than comparable studies and provides an alternative to IPS-Lite and IPS-standard for more complex populations. Motivational and habitual psychosocial variables are helpful in predicting who may benefit from an enhanced IPS intervention supporting people after prolonged absence from employment. Trial registration: NCT04083404 Registered 05 September 2019 (retrospectively registered). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: South Africa's quadruple burden of disease, coupled with health system challenges and other factors, predicts a high burden of disability within the population. Human Resources for Health policy and planning need to take account of this challenge. Occupational therapists are part of the health rehabilitation team, and their supply and status in the workforce need to be better understood.Methods: The study was a retrospective record-based review of the Health Professions Council of South Africa database from 2002 to 2018. The data obtained from the Health Professions Council of South Africa was analysed for the following variables: geographical location, population groups, age, practice type and sex. Data was entered on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 22.0).Results: In 2018, there were 5180 occupational therapists registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa with a ratio of 0.9 occupational therapists per 10 000 population. There has been an average annual increase of 7.1% over the time period of 2002-2018. The majority of occupational therapists are located in the more densely populated and urbanised provinces, namely Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Most of the registered occupational therapists are under the age of 40 years (67.7%). The majority (66%) are classified as white followed by those classified as black and coloured. Females make up 95% of the registered occupational therapists. Nationally, 74.8% of occupational therapists are deployed in the private sector catering for 16% of the population while approximately 25.2% are employed in the public sector catering for 84% of the population.Conclusions: Under-resourcing and disparities in the profile and distribution of occupational therapy human resources remain an abiding concern which negatively impacts on rehabilitation service provision and equitable health and rehabilitation outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the impact of an eclectic framework for combining theoretical conceptual practice models on occupational therapists' theoretical reasoning using concurrent mixed methods with repeated measures and grounded theory designs. Study participants (n = 9) attended two workshops to review select occupational therapy theoretical conceptual practice models and learn how to use the eclectic framework. We assessed skills in eclectic combination of theoretical conceptual practice models using the Theory Application Assessment Instrument. The skills improved significantly [χ2(2, 9) = 7.09, p =.02], a finding that was corroborated by the qualitative findings indicating that the eclectic framework may potentially help improve theoretical reasoning among occupational therapists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Hands make it possible to be employable and productive, to communicate non-verbally and to perform fine motor tasks required in day-to-day activities. Sustaining a hand injury can be detrimental to function including the ability to work. As the literature on work-related transitions is scattered across a range of journals, it is difficult to get a sense of how much literature there is, what is known and where the gaps lie. This scoping study will provide a single source of up-to-date evidence to inform health professionals about the strategies occupational therapists employ to facilitate work-related transitions for people with hand injuries. Methods and analysis The methodological framework by Arksey and O'Malley (2005) will form the structure of the scoping review. The search strategy has been developed in collaboration with a subject librarian. The following databases will be searched: EBSCOhost including only Medline, CINAHL and Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition; PubMed, Scopus, The Cochrane library and Web of Science. Reference lists will be examined, and grey literature sources will be searched to ensure that literature missed in the database searches is included. Covidence will be used to manage the project. Full-texts will be uploaded for literature that meets the inclusion criteria. A process of blind review will be used to ensure that consistency and rigour is upheld. Ethics and dissemination The findings of the scoping review will be disseminated in an article, within 2019, to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. The findings will be presented at conferences to ensure the optimal dissemination of the scoping review's conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B Correction: BMC Geriatr 22, 808 (2022) b B https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-03492-8 b After publication of this article [[1]], the authors reported that in the abstract, paragraph Conclusions, the 3rd sentence should not start with "15", but with "Fifteen years". Reference 1 van Biljon H. The health equity characteristics of research exploring the unmet community mobility needs of older adults: a scoping review. [Extracted from the article]

Background In this article constructions of identity, occupation, and performance are explored with a particular focus on the interrelatedness of these concepts. Insights were derived from a study in which the influences that impact on the work-lives of people with a psychiatric disability were explored. Method An interpretive biography design was utilised. Data construction took the form of narrative interviews and a combination of paradigmatic narrative analysis and narrative analysis was used. Participants, selected by means of purposive maximum variation sampling, had been diagnosed with psychiatric impairment and lived in the Western Cape, South Africa. Findings and discussion Identity construction processes were explored, with a particular focus on how these impacted on decisions regarding participation in work. Conclusions Performance elements of identity, called forth by occupational demands, occurring within work environments were found to be shaped through, and expressed as, doing. The notion of Punctualized Identity was shown to provide a lens that is able to capture the dynamic interplay of identity constructs and provide a synthesised perspective on participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: This paper reports on the second phase of a two-phased study that was undertaken to determine the feasibility of supported employment (SE) as a strategy with which to facilitate the employment of persons with disability in competitive work contexts. The study population comprised people with mental disabilities receiving SE in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. OBJECTIVE: To describe the components of SE utilised by persons with mental disability (i.e. psychiatric or intellectual disability) in terms of type and time utilisation patterns over 12 months. METHODS: Criterion sampling, a form of purposive sampling, was used to identify 29 study participants - 19 with intellectual disability and 10 with psychiatric disability. Data collection commenced for each participant when a work placement had been identified and preparation for such ensued. Data was collected prospectively for a period of 12 months. SE service components utilised by participants were captured using a data capture sheet that was developed for this purpose. RESULTS: Time utilisation indicated a steep downwards trend for both cohorts. The decrease in utilisation of SE service components over a period of one year was more pronounced in the psychiatric disability (PD) cohort, who utilized almost half the total SE services in the first month. CONCLUSIONS: SE services can be considered as a viable option for return to work in resource-constrained environments. Providers of SE services will need to modify approaches in order to meet contextual realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Not enough is known about the relationship between work and health, particularly for people with psychiatric disability. A review of research investigating variables that predict success at work showed inconsistent and contradicting results. The voice of people with psychiatric disability was found to be largely missing from literature. A study was therefore undertaken to explore the influences that impacted on the work-lives of people with psychiatric disability. This paper elucidates the importance of participation in work as an essential ingredient in the promotion of occupational justice, in identity construction and in the process of recovery for persons with psychiatric disability. Method: Interpretive biography was utilised to explore the experiences of people with psychiatric disability in the Western Cape, South Africa. Seventeen participants were identified using maximum variation sampling. Life story narratives were elicited during an average of three individual interviews per participant. Processes of analysis and interpretation were informed by a combination of paradigmatic narrative analysis and narrative analysis strategies. Findings: A complex interplay of influences that shaped the identities of participants in ways that can assist or hinder their participation in work was revealed. Participation in work was perceived to be a means of recovery and a source of wellness for participants. Conclusions: More conscious effort is needed to promote the use of work as source of support and resource for health for persons who live with psychiatric impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the growing awareness of the role of occupational therapists to assess medical fitness. It mentions that occupational therapists have an important contribution to make to broader area of transportation-related concerns and mobility planning and transportation access across the lifespan. Initiatives which transcend boundaries show the significant societal role played by occupational therapists when it comes to regard transportation mobility needs.

The article offers information on the 17th World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) Congress to be held in Cape Town, South Africa from May 21–25, 2018 and co-hosted by Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa and will features health and well-being.

Background: Translation and cross cultural adaptation of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) involves a step referred to as harmonisation, following forward and backward translation of the measure. This article proposes the introduction of methods not previously included in the process of harmonisation. The aim of the study was to introduce shared decision making (SDM) and the practice of community translation (CT) during the harmonisation of the Afrikaans for the Western Cape version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, a PROM that measures symptoms and activity and participation in persons with upper limb conditions. Methods: A broader approach to harmonisation is proposed by incorporating CT and SDM in addition to existing methods toward harmonisation. Participants (n = 8) involved in the harmonisation meeting included the principal investigator, a linguistic expert, occupational therapists with knowledge of the target population, context and the DASH questionnaire and members of the target population with and without upper limb conditions. A partnership was formed with the participants (a principle of SDM) and the principles of non-parallel CT and the CT approach were applied during harmonisation. Employing CT principles ensures that the norm for the translation is set by the population the translation is intended for. Results: Forward and backward translation of the DASH questionnaire presented a version of the measure in the target language for consideration during harmonisation. There were however a significant number of conceptually problematic items on the version presented at the meeting. Only seven items (7 of 30) remained unchanged. Conclusion: SDM and CT was used during the harmonisation of the Afrikaans for the Western Cape DASH questionnaire. Both these practices could have relevance in the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of PROMs where the translation is intended for persons from low socio-economic backgrounds and low levels of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "An occupational therapy income-generation group for HIV-positive women in Uganda" in the previous issue.