Making sense of it together: Youth & families co‐create sensory modulation assessment and intervention in community mental health settings to optimise daily life

Abstract

Introduction: Occupational therapists work collaboratively with young people experiencing mental ill-health to enable meaningful occupational participation in daily life. Sensory modulation is used as a means of developing self-regulation and enabling occupational participation. Published literature on sensory modulation in mental health settings is primarily located within acute inpatient settings and focuses on self-regulation. Little is known about the use of sensory modulation within community settings to enhance occupational participation in daily lives of people with mental-ill health. This study investigated the experiences of young people and their families who engaged in sensory modulation assessment (Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile) and intervention (between one and twelve sessions) as part of community mental health care at a large area mental health service in Melbourne, Australia. Methods: The qualitative study used naturalistic inquiry methodology involving semi-structured interviews with six young people and three families. Nine interview transcripts were thematically analysed to elicit the experiences of sensory modulation assessment and intervention, and how this may influence daily life. Results: Thematic analysis revealed that young people and their families' positive experiences of sensory modulation were underpinned by processes of co-creation: (a) knowing yourself; (b) understanding 'the why': developing shared reasons for engaging in sensory modulation; (c) creating comfort; (d) creating connection; and (e) constantly learning. Sensory modulation supported occupational participation in young peoples' daily lives in the areas of sleep, study, relationships, self-care, independent living, being in the world, and doing new things. Conclusion: Young people and their families valued the process of co-creating sensory modulation assessment and intervention to enhance occupational participation. Results revealed that sensory modulation assessment and intervention was optimised when it was a process of co-creation. Future research should investigate the effectiveness of sensory modulation in enhancing occupational participation in these domains that influence daily life.

Patient and Public Involvement in Occupational Therapy Health Research: A Scoping Review

“…Public collaborators did not always have patient experience relevant to the study. For example, former carers of people living with motor neurone disease were public collaborators instead of patients themselves (Simpson et al, 2020) and family care advisors were public collaborators in a study on young people engaged in community mental health services (Williamson & Ennals, 2020). Descriptions of how PPI were carried out varied considerably across the studies.…”

“…Reflecting the wide range of focus and variation in study populations across the included studies, they also differed in who were invited as public collaborators. In seven studies, individuals with experience of living with mental illness, or service user experience within mental health were the public collaborators ( Baker & Procter, 2014 ; Birken & Bryant, 2017, 2019; Bryant et al, 2016 ; Hancock et al, 2015 ; Makdisi et al, 2013 ; Williamson & Ennals, 2020 ). Other public collaborators included older adults ( Andonian & MacRae, 2011 ), residents in prison ( Crabtree, Ohm, et al, 2016 ), or persons living with chronic conditions ( Nielsen et al, 2019 ; Restall et al, 2017 ).…”

“…PPI impact on research design linked to stages in research. Public collaborators had impacted on the data collection tools, by including questions considered important to the study population ( Bryant et al, 2016 ; Nielsen et al, 2019 ; Williamson & Ennals, 2020 ). Impact on data collection was described as an advantage related to becoming familiar with the study topic ( Birken & Harper, 2017 ; Crabtree, Ohm, et al, 2016 ), and by helping participants to express themselves more freely, gaining a deeper understanding ( Bryant et al, 2016 ).…”

Aistimodulaatio osana mielenterveyskuntoutujien asumispalvelua

“…(Meredith ym. 2018, Williamson & Ennals 2020 Tässä esiteltävä hanke toteutettiin Turussa sijaitsevassa mielenterveyskuntoutujien asumispalvelua tarjoavassa yksityisessä yrityksessä. Yrityksessä on ollut käynnissä aistimodulaation käyttöönottoon liittyvä projekti loppuvuodesta 2019.…”

“…2021, Andersson ym. 2020, Williamson & Ennals 2020 Asumispalvelun asiakkaat ovat saaneet tietoa aistimodulaation mahdollisuuksista sekä yleisten infojen ja koulutusten kautta että yksilöllisen perehdytyksen avulla. Yksilöllisissä toimintaterapiainterventioissa asiakkaan kanssa arvioitiin kattavammin hänen aistisäätelyään ja aistitiedon prosessointiaan.…”