Developing an Occupation-Centred Framework for Trauma Intervention

Abstract

Experiencing work-related trauma can negatively impact coping abilities and daily life participation. Occupational therapists (OTs) often provide health services to workers who have experienced trauma, including military members, veterans, and public safety personnel. The Occupational Therapy Trauma Intervention Framework (OTTIF) is a novel clinical reasoning framework that matches a client's level of readiness to engage with a spectrum of evidence-based OT approaches. Using surveys at two time points, evaluation of therapist experiences of using the OTTIF elicited positive feedback that suggests the OTTIF provides a useful occupation-centred framework for evidence-informed occupational therapy practice with clients who have experienced trauma.

Occupational therapy and posttraumatic stress disorder: A scoping review

“…Until recently, there have not been opportunities for occupational therapists to consolidate an occupational focus related to PTSD through professional development, as available courses and workshops tend to focus on modalities and often use an evidence base from outside the profession. The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists has increased its focus on providing occupation-focused and evidence-informed professional development opportunities in this area, recently launching “Occupation and Trauma: Expanding Occupational Therapy Practice,” which utilizes the Occupational Therapy Trauma Intervention Framework (OTTIF, Edgelow & Cramm, 2017), as part of its regular workshop series. An occupational therapist can use meaningful activity as a means to encourage feelings of autonomy, independence, and accomplishment as well as self-worth and well-being (see Clarke, 1999; Dutra et al, 2016; Murphy et al, 2015; Plach & Sells, 2013; Scaffa et al, 2006; Smith-Forbes et al, 2016).…”

Signature Pedagogies versus Trauma Informed Approaches: Thematic Analysis of Graduate Students’ Reflections

“…Secondly, it may be beneficial to embed student-centered trauma-informed approaches into classroom learning, essentially modeling client-centered care by prioritizing student mental health needs (Edgelow & Cramm, 2020). Though COVID-19 has been an international crisis, research continues to emerge underscoring pandemic-related individualized trauma for college students internationally (Liu et al, 2022; McManus & Ball, 2020; Tasso et al, 2021).…”

“…Though trauma is in essence a personal experience, by very definition, worldwide events can also cause singular effects that vary from person to person. People who experience trauma struggle with mental health and emotional challenges, impacting their ability to learn, work and participate in occupations (Edgelow & Cramm, 2020). The human experience of trauma is unique, varying from person to person; yet COVID-19 had far-reaching, wide scale effects, creating traumatic, adverse experiences while resulting in longer-lasting traumatic consequences.…”

Workplace Reintegration Facilitator Training Program for Mental Health Literacy and Workplace Attitudes of Public Safety Personnel: Pre-Post Pilot Cohort Study

“…These conditions have the potential to impact an individual’s quality of life and can result in decreased community integration, increased social isolation, and greater difficulty forming and maintaining meaningful relationships [ 10 , 11 ]. OSIs such as PTSD can lead to issues with self-care, health, and sleep, all of which can negatively affect success in productive roles such as employment [ 12 ]. Productivity-related occupational performance issues attributed to OSIs can cause difficulty with returning to and maintaining work [ 12 ].…”

“…OSIs such as PTSD can lead to issues with self-care, health, and sleep, all of which can negatively affect success in productive roles such as employment [ 12 ]. Productivity-related occupational performance issues attributed to OSIs can cause difficulty with returning to and maintaining work [ 12 ].…”