Occupational justice and social inclusion among people living with HIV and people with mental illness: a scoping review

Abstract

ObjectiveTo explore ways in which occupational justice and social inclusion are conceptualised, defined and operationalised in highly stigmatised and chronic conditions of mental illness and HIV.DesignThis scoping review protocol followed Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) Scoping Review Framework.Data sources and eligibilityThe following databases were searched for the period January 1997 to January 2019: Medline via PubMed, Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Africa-Wide Information, Humanities International Complete, Web of Science, PsychInfo, SocINDEX and grey literature.Eligible articles were primary studies, reviews or theoretical papers which conceptualised, defined and/or operationalised social inclusion or occupational justice in mental illness or HIV.Study appraisal and synthesisWe undertook a three-part article screening process. Screening and data extraction were undertaken independently by two researchers. Arksey’s framework and thematic analysis informed the collation and synthesis of included papers.ResultsFrom 3352 records, we reviewed 139 full articles and retained 27 for this scoping review. Definitions of social inclusion and occupational justice in the domains of mental illness and HIV were heterogeneous and lacked definitional clarity. The two concepts were conceptualised as either processes or personal experiences, with key features of community participation, respect for human rights and establishment and maintenance of healthy relationships. Conceptual commonalities between social inclusion and occupational justice were premised on social justice.ConclusionsTo address lack of clarity, we propose further and concurrent exploration of these concepts, specifically with reference to persons with comorbid mental health disorders such as substance use disorders and HIV living in low-income countries. This should reflect contextual realities influencing community participation, respect for human rights and meaningful occupational participation. From this broadened understanding, quantitative measures should be applied to improve the standardisation of measurements for occupational justice and social inclusion in policy, research and practice.

Relationship between psychological factors and perceived stigma of addiction among women with substance use disorders, Thailand

“…A possible explanation is that individuals with SUDs or with substance use history are perceived more negatively as weak moral character, lacked capacity, dishonest, and reduced social inclusion, which lead to not engaged in community events, including employment. [ 21 34 35 ] These may impact an individual's access to employment opportunities or employer's hiring decisions. [ 36 ] Then, consequently contributes to a further increase in stigma internalization.…”

“…[ 37 ] If unemployed people with low social inclusion, they are less social interaction, less acceptance, and more perceived stigma. [ 35 37 ] Some studies indicated that substance user who are unemployed or did not regularly go to work may be less socially included than full-time working people. Thus, substance users who are unemployed with a reduced social inclusion are more likely to report higher levels of perceived stigma.…”

Understanding the nature of substance use in Zimbabwe: State of the art and ways forward: A scoping review protocol

“…A scoping review is suggested due to the breadth of information required to gain a broad understanding of the nature of the evidence and policy relating to substance use and SUDs in Zimbabwe. In developing the protocol, the framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley [20] together with relevant previous applications of this framework, for example, [21, 22] were consulted. Ethics approval was waived by the De Montfort University Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Research Ethics Committee.…”

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on occupational performance among people with disabilities and strategies for bouncing back: A rapid scoping review

“…In these disruptions, occupational transitions are an important concept to explore, regarding how people adapt and adjust to change. Successful negotiation of life changes needs to be occupation-based (Nhunzvi et al, 2020) strategically positioning occupational therapy for a significant role in facilitating recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.…”