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Virtual reality (VR) offers a forum for a person to immerse themselves in an artificial world. Despite the emergence of VR as a teaching tool, a strong base to understand the pedagogical impact of VR within post-secondary education is absent. Furthermore, there is minimal literature on how VR can be used pedagogically with medical and rehabilitation professional students. This pilot research project sought to answer “how do students perceive that VR should be used within occupational therapy curricula after trialling a variety of educational modules?” Study participants were Masters of Occupational Therapy Students who trialed four different educational modules using four different technological solutions. After each trial they completed a questionnaire specific to the learning and then completed an overall survey about how VR should be considered for future use in the curriculum. Findings showcased that students preferred a higher level of immersion and interaction. They showed less preference for the lower technological and less immersive learning opportunities. Students shared that they would welcome VR solutions to learn about assessment, anatomy and musculoskeletal function, neuroanatomy and neurological foundations and for cases as a preparation for clinical fieldwork experiences. Future research is required to evaluate the impact of a larger scale roll out of specific learning approaches.

Leadership has been established as a key competency for occupational therapists, however the literature on how occupational therapists conceptualize leadership is limited. Additionally, there is a dearth of literature on best practices to develop occupational therapists’ leadership skills and there is yet to be an evaluation of an online educational approach. This study aimed to understand if an online educational platform contributed to the development of leadership skills among occupational therapists. Participants were newly graduated occupational therapists who participated in a four-week Leadership Skills Development massive open online course (MOOC). This study used a mixed methods quasi-experimental design with two intervention cohorts and time series delay. All participants completed the MindTools Leadership Skills Assessment, the Authentic Leadership Self-Assessment Questionnaire and open-ended self-reflection questions. Analysis of the data was conducted using Rstudio, for the quantitative data, and thematic coding, for the qualitative data. The results showed there was not a significant change in scores on the leadership evaluation tools over time. However, cohort A demonstrated an increase in self-awareness and cohort B showed increases in balanced processing, providing support, and stimulation. Both cohorts showed increases in relational transparency. Participants reported that participating in the MOOC provided education on how to further develop leadership skills. Leadership skill development takes time to develop and further evaluation is required to determine if these skills continue to develop when put into practice.

IntroductionAs demand for intensive case management services continues to outpace supply, community mental health agencies in Toronto, Ontario, introduced Short-Term Case Management (STCM).ObjectiveThis study sought to explore case managers’ perspectives and experiences with this new service delivery model.MethodsFocus groups were conducted with twenty-one case managers, and transcripts analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsEmerging themes suggest that despite embracing a recovery approach, case managers expressed mixed views on the acceptability and appropriateness of this service delivery model as an intervention.ConclusionThe ideal population for this intervention are adults with mental health issues in need of system navigation, and those motivated to address their goals. Further research is needed to establish fidelity criteria.

Objectives This study sought to understand how stakeholder engagement impacts outcomes when there is a change in public funding within community mental health settings.Design A realist synthesis approach was used to address the research question to fully understand the role of stakeholder engagement as a mechanism in achieving outcomes (system and service user) in the context of community mental health service reform. An iterative process was used to identify programme theories and context–mechanism–outcome configurations within the literature.Results Findings highlight that in the absence of stakeholder engagement, funding changes may lead to negative outcomes. When stakeholders were engaged in some form, funding changes were more often associated with positive outcomes. Stakeholder engagement is multifaceted and requires considerable time and investment to support achieving intended outcomes when funding changes are implemented.Conclusions To support successful transformation of community mental health programmes, it is important that stakeholders are meaningfully engaged during funding allocation changes. Stakeholder engagement may entail connecting around a shared purpose, individual participation and meaningful interactions and dialogue.

The workplace is a vital setting to support positive mental health. Mental health conditions in the workforce contribute to decreased work engagement and participation. There is existing literature on return-to-work (RTW) interventions for individuals with work-related mental health conditions, however, there lacks consensus on their effectiveness. Therefore, the primary aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the literature and evaluate the effectiveness of return-to-work interventions on return-to-work rates, quality of life, and psychological wellbeing for individuals with work-related mental health conditions. Selected articles were organized and identified using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the Population/Intervention/Comparison/Outcome (PICO) framework. Quality assessment of the included studies was completed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme randomized controlled trials checklist and the Joanna Briggs Institute quasi-experimental studies checklist. A random effects meta-analysis model was performed using DerSimonian-Laird weighting to calculate standard mean difference and risk ratios to assess the impact of RTW interventions on return-to-work rates, absenteeism, stress symptoms, depression symptoms, and quality of life. A total of 28 out of 26,153 articles met the inclusion criteria. Diagnoses for participants in the studies ranged from work-related stress to work-related PTSD following exposure to a psychologically traumatizing event in the workplace. No significant differences were found for the meta-analyses examining return-to-work rates, absenteeism, depression, stress, and quality of life. The most effective interventions were found to be a multi-domain intervention (67% of participants RTW full time) and a health-focused intervention (85% RTW rate). Future research may consider establishing effective interventions to develop programs or policies supporting the RTW of employees and promote mental well-being among employees experiencing work-related mental health conditions.

Short Term Case Management (STCM) was introduced in 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, as a brief intervention to address long wait-lists for case management services. STCM provides individuals with mental illness, living in the community, case management services on a weekly basis over 3 months to identify personal goals and work toward an improved state of health and well-being. Despite the small but growing body of evidence on short-term case management, there is limited research on clients’ reported experiences of these services. This study used a phenomenological approach to answer the question “What are the experiences with services of individuals who received short-term case management services?” Eight qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted between November 2019 and January 2020 to collect the perspectives and experiences of clients who had received STCM. Most participants valued engaging in a brief therapeutic relationship. Additionally, participants described that the intervention helped them connect with other agencies for ongoing support and begin achieving their own long-term goals. Some participants voiced concerns about the brief duration of the intervention. Future research should explore the role of briefcase management in the continuum of services and the typology of clients who may benefit from longer therapeutic relationship to achieve their goals.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to gain a preliminary, broad-level understanding of how the first lockdown impacted post-secondary students, faculty, and staff worldwide. Methods: The data were obtained via a global online cross-sectional questionnaire survey using a mixed-method design and disseminated to university students, faculty, and staff from April to November 2020. The data were categorized in four themes/categories: (1) social life and relationships, (2) access to services, (3) health experiences, and (4) impact on mental health well-being. Results: The survey included 27,804 participants from 121 countries and 6 continents. The majority of participants were from Europe (73.6%), female (59.2%), under 30 years of age (64.0%), living in large urban areas (61.3%), %), and from middle-income families (66.7%). Approximately 28.4% of respondents reported that the lockdown negatively impacted their social life, while 21.2% reported the lockdown had a positive impact. A total of 39.2% reported having issues accessing products or services, including essentials, such as groceries, or medical services. In addition, respondents reported an increase in stress and anxiety levels and a decrease in quality of life during the first 2 weeks of the lockdown. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures had an evident impact on the lives of post-secondary students, faculty, and staff. Further research is required to inform and improve policies to support these populations at both institutional and national levels.

Importance: Wicked problems are those that are messy and complex and have no obvious solution. Occupational therapists and their clients encounter wicked problems in all areas of practice, and therefore it is essential that they know how to address them., Objective: To identify the key constructs involved in addressing wicked problems, discover considerations for occupational therapists, and develop a conceptual model that supports how to address these problems., Design: This study had a critical review design and focused on literature from sectors such as health care, social services, policy, business, management, and leadership. It followed a traditional critical review process and extracted records from Scopus, CINAHL and Ovid databases., Results: A total of 36 articles were included in the review. The results indicated that, to address wicked problems, one must first identify the problem as wicked. The key constructs identified in the literature include collaboration, leadership, perspectives, and innovation, with collaboration and leadership as the most prominent constructs. Subthemes include interdisciplinary teams and diverse perspectives, visualizing interdependencies, team communication, leadership style, leadership communication, and shared vision., Conclusions and Relevance: The key constructs identified in this review are interconnected and imperative when addressing wicked problems as depicted in the new Addressing Wicked Problems conceptual model. Occupational therapists are well suited to extend between the traditional role and be key stakeholders in addressing wicked problems by using their leadership and collaboration skills and attitudes. What This Article Adds: Collaboration, leadership, perspective, and innovation are the key constructs for addressing wicked problems. The Addressing Wicked Problems conceptual model highlights the interconnectedness of these constructs., (Copyright © 2023 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.)