Creative activities have been used as a therapeutic tool since the inception of occupational therapy. The role of creative activities has varied over time due to the changing focus of treatment in favour of kinesiological, neurological and psychodynamic approaches (Perrin 2001). Although the literature reflects a resurgence of interest in creative activities and occupation (Harris 2008), few studies address their value in physical rehabilitation today.Rehabilitation is a process 'intended to enable people with disabilities to reach and maintain optimal physical, sensory, intellectual, psychological and /or social function' (World Health Organisation 2009). To locate studies on the use of art in rehabilitation, the Medline, Psychlit and CINAHL databases were searched using the following key terms: art as therapy, physical rehabilitation, chronic illness and creativity. Further terms were searched in relation to themes during the data analysis process, such as self-esteem and time use.Aims: The aims of this study were to understand the experience of participation in visual art from the perspective of adults undergoing outpatient physical rehabilitation and to determine whether art has a place in this context.Method: This qualitative study involved interviewing adults who attended a weekly art class run by a qualified art teacher and occupational therapists in an outpatient physical rehabilitation setting. Nine participants with neurological conditions discussed their experience of the programme and the goals they were working towards or had achieved through painting.Findings: The themes that emerged from the study show that art contributed to the participants meeting their individual rehabilitation goals. It also assisted the participants in using time, increasing enjoyment, regaining confidence and planning for engagement in future activities. All these achievements were seen by the participants to contribute to their rehabilitation or recovery. The identified themes align with the aims of rehabilitation and are similar to findings from many other studies investigating the use of art by people affected by illness or disability.Conclusion: The findings of this study inform clinical practice in the use of visual art with clients in rehabilitation and validate its place in a physical rehabilitation programme.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health problem with known negative physical and mental health outcomes for women exposed. Studies have shown that with increased violence exposure, there are increased risks of negative outcomes for women. Likewise, chronicity of IPV across multiple partners is linked to more profound psychological suffering than acute exposure. However, little is known about the social- and individual-level characteristics of women that are correlated with engagement with multiple abusive partners. The current study ( N = 164) identifies the characteristics of women that are associated with the number of violent partners with which they have been involved, with 35% of the sample reporting multiple IPV relationships. Participants reported on the number of violent partners, demographic characteristics, trauma history, current trauma and depressive symptoms, and exposure to IPV, including physical, sexual, and psychological violence. Results of multiple regression analysis indicate that trauma history (childhood sexual abuse, being held hostage, and torture) and current psychological violence were associated with women's engagement with multiple violent partners. Additional findings reveal that identification as African American and White was associated with greater re-engagement compared with identification as Latina. Finally, current exposure to sexual violence was associated with fewer violent partners. The clinical implications of these findings for treatment for women at risk for engagement with multiple partners in IPV relationships are discussed.

This adaptation of a program designed to reduce problems associated with experiencing IPV addressed several mental health treatment needs for Latinas, particularly the need for services in Spanish. These findings demonstrate that it is possible to tailor current treatment programs for IPV in ways that are both effective and culturally sensitive. (PsycINFO Database Record

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While intimate partner violence (IPV) has been acknowledged as a national public health concern, little research exists that directly assesses differential exposure to IPV for distinct ethnoracial groups. The current study compared the rate, severity, and type of IPV exposure across samples of White, African American, and Latina women (N = 180). Participants reported rates of exposure to violence on measures of physical assault, psychological aggression, injury, and sexual coercion; each subscale contained items denoting both mild and severe levels of violence. Multiple regression analyses indicated that women's frequency of exposure to sexual coercion, and severe and injurious violence significantly differed based on participants' ethnoracial identification, such that Latina women experienced disproportionate levels of violence relative to White and African American peers. Mothers' monthly income, level of education, general health, and relationship status also emerged as significant predictors of violence exposure. Results support the development of culturally sensitive adaptations of IPV interventions, targeting not only Latina populations but also women who are single, low-income, and educationally underserved.