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Introduction: Previous research indicates that children with Paediatric Acute‐onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) experience sensory reactivity differences that impact occupational performance. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are differences in sensory reactivity in these children across two different time points; during exacerbation and during remission, using the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) Home‐Form. The study also sought to investigate whether children with PANS experience sensory differences during remission periods, when compared with SPM Home‐Form norms. Methods: A two‐period bidirectional case‐crossover design was used, and an online assessment was conducted to measure sensory reactivity. Parents of children aged 4.6 to 13.1 years with a diagnosis of PANS were recruited from various sites across Australia, USA, England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and New Zealand. The SPM Home‐Form was used to measure sensory reactivity at two time points, when PANS was in remission (T‐R) and in exacerbation (T‐E). Study entry was permitted at either T‐E or T‐R. Participant exacerbation status was monitored over a maximum 12‐month period, and a follow‐up SPM Home‐Form was sent when a change in exacerbation status was indicated. A linear mixed model was used to assess the difference between SPM Home‐Form norm‐referenced scores during exacerbation and remission. Results: The study included 82 participants, with 80 providing data at study entry, and 27 providing data at follow‐up. Results showed a statistically significant decline in performance across the SPM Home‐Form domains of Hearing, Social Participation, Planning and Ideas, and Total Sensory Systems T‐scores during exacerbation when compared with remission data. Results also demonstrated atypical sensory reactivity across Vision, Hearing, Touch, Balance and Motion, and Total Sensory Systems domains during periods of remission compared with SPM Home‐Form norms. Conclusion: This study found that children with PANS experience significant sensory reactivity differences during exacerbation and remission across multiple sensory domains, with a decline in performance during exacerbation. Where there are occupational performance challenges, occupational therapists should consider administering sensory assessments so that effective intervention plans addressing the unique sensory reactivity needs of children with PANS can be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Methods Consumer and Community Involvement Findings Conclusion Plain Language Summary Occupational therapists support children with self‐regulation needs to engage in meaningful occupations at home, school, and in the community. However, little is known about how Australian practitioners perceive their role working with children with self‐regulation needs in the Australian healthcare context. Therefore, we explored the contemporary practice experiences of Australian occupational therapists working with children 4–12 years referred for self‐regulation support, to better understand elements constituting efficacious service delivery to enhance occupational engagement.A qualitative descriptive design, underpinned by constructivism and relativism, was implemented to address the research aim. Occupational therapists were recruited online to participate in audio‐recorded focus groups and interviews. The audio recordings were anonymised, transcribed verbatim, and analysed through reflexive thematic analysis.No consumers were involved in the study design or analysis.Four themes were generated, encapsulating the experience of 13 occupational therapists working with children with self‐regulation needs: (1) navigating the complexities of self‐regulation, (2) intervening to support the child and surrounding systems, (3) bringing the occupational therapy perspective to the self‐regulation puzzle, and (4) working within an evolving practice context. Themes 1–3 describe specific processes that all occurred within the context of Theme 4. Overall, participants detailed successful practice to support children with self‐regulation needs to participate in meaningful occupations that required person‐centredness, collaboration, coaching, and adaptability of therapists responding to different stakeholder demands.Self‐regulation is a complex area of practice, and occupational therapists have a key role in supporting occupational engagement by balancing the child's needs with those of family, other stakeholders, and funding bodies. Findings support occupational therapists and decision‐makers advocating for the unique role of occupational therapy in supporting self‐regulation in childhood as part of a collaborative, multi‐disciplinary approach. Specific consideration must also be given to ways that current funding schemes in Australia enable occupational therapy services for children with self‐regulation needs.Controlling emotions and behaviours is sometimes called ‘self‐regulation’. Some children find this hard and need help from an occupational therapist, who knows a lot about the body and the systems within it. A lot of occupational therapists in Australia help children with their self‐regulation. There is not much known about how these therapists see their role in working with these children. We wanted to understand what it is like for occupational therapists who help children, between 4 and 12 years old, with their self‐regulation. We interviewed 13 occupational therapists from across Australia and analysed what they said. The data showed four main points: (1) understanding the challenges of self‐regulation, (2) helping the child and their environment, (3) using an occupational therapy approach to solve self‐regulation issues, and (4) working in a changing practice environment. The therapists described how important it is to focus on the child, work together with many people like caregivers and teachers, and being flexible. They talked about how they balance the needs of the child, family, and funding bodies, which could sometimes be tricky. The study shows the things that therapists are doing when working with children who need help with their self‐regulation and the things that therapists find hard working in this space. The results of the study can be used by people who advocate for services that help children and by people who make decisions about Australia's healthcare. One way the study can be used is to think about how current funding schemes do or do not allow different people and professions to work together to support children's self‐regulation. Even though there were some limitations, such as a low response rate due to the stress of the COVID‐19 pandemic, we did interview therapists from different parts of Australia who work in different settings to each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The risk of recurrent stroke following a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or non-disabling stroke is high. Clinical guidelines recommend this patient population accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week to reduce the risk of recurrent stroke. We aimed to identify interventions that increase time adults spend in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity following TIA or non-disabling stroke. We searched thirteen databases for articles of secondary prevention interventions reporting outcomes for duration in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity or exercise capacity. Eight trials were identified (n = 2653). Of these, three (n = 198) reported changes in time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Only one trial (n = 70), reported significant change in time spent engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (between-group difference: 11.7 min/day [95% CI 4.07–19.33]) when comparing participation in a six-month exercise education intervention to usual care. No trial measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity after intervention end. Despite recommendations to participate in regular physical activity at moderate-to-vigorous intensity for secondary stroke prevention, there is very little evidence for effective interventions for this patient population. There is need for clinically feasible interventions that result in long-term participation in physical activity in line with clinical guidelines. Trial registration: Protocol registration: PROSPERO CRD42018092840 There is limited evidence of the effectiveness of interventions that aim to increase time spent engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for people following a TIA or non-disabling stroke. A program comprising aerobic and resistance exercises ≥2 per week, supervised by a health professional (supplemented with a home program) over at least 24 weeks appears to be effective in assisting people adhere to recommended levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity after TIA or non-disabling stroke. Secondary prevention programs which include health professional supervised exercise sessions contribute to better adherence to physical activity guidelines; didactic sessions alone outlining frequency and intensity are unlikely to be sufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Recovery‐oriented practice policies and occupational therapy education accreditation standards require that consumers are engaged in the design, delivery and evaluation of curricula. This consumer involvement (sometimes referred to as service‐user involvement or patient involvement in other contexts) should go beyond consumers simply 'telling their stories' to more meaningful collaboration in curricula. This study was designed to map the current patterns of consumer involvement in occupational therapy programs across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Method: A survey was distributed to all occupational therapy programs across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The survey included questions related to: (a) perceived enablers and barriers to consumer involvement in education; (b) organisational structures and support; (c) ways in which consumer are involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of curricula; (d) access to remuneration for consumers; (e) overall ratings of the level of consumer involvement in curricula; and (f) academic confidence in working with consumers. Results: Usable responses were received for 23 programs from 19 universities (83% response rate). Every program reported some consumer involvement in the curriculum. Consumer participation tended to be mainly focussed on curriculum delivery with less frequent involvement in curriculum design or evaluation. The most common barrier to consumer involvement in curricula was 'funding/remuneration for consumers' and the most common enabler of consumer involvement was 'positive attitudes of teaching staff'. Conclusion: In comparison to previous reports, consumer involvement in occupational therapy curricula has increased over the past decade. However, ongoing effort is required to support true collaboration in all aspects of curriculum design, delivery and evaluation. While this will require attention and effort from academic teams, changes at a university level to establish systems to engage and effectively remunerate consumers for their involvement (especially in design and evaluation elements) are also required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research on the use of social skills training to reduce symptoms of psychotic disorders in comparison to other intervention techniques, summarizing the article "A Meta-Analysis of Social Skills Training and Related Interventions for Psychosis" by D. T. Turner, E. McGlanghy, P. Cuipers, et al. in volume 44, issue 3 of the journal "Schizophrenia Bulletin." The role of social networking in treatment for people with mental illness is addressed.