Stay at Work After a Period of Disability Due to an Occupational Injury: A Complex Process Marked by Social Exchanges.

Purpose Rooted in a social exchange lens, this study aimed to explore the interactions between the factors influencing stay at work after a period of disability due to an occupational injury. Methods Based on a descriptive interpretative research design, interviews with 15 participants (i.e., representatives of workers, workplaces, insurers, and the health care system) were conducted to gather their perspectives about stay at work. Qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis. Results Ten different factors interacting together and influencing stay at work were identified. These factors prevail either during stay at work or previously. They are either related to the person (personal resources, occupation outside of work), environment (accommodations, support, access to rehabilitation services) or interaction between the person and her/his environment (perceptions, leeway, communication and information), whether it concerns the workplace, health services or insurance. Conclusions This study contributes to the advancement of knowledge concerning two main themes: (1) the importance of considering social exchanges as factors of success, and (2) the importance of considering the stay at work within a larger process.

[Enabling Workers to Preserve Their Mental Health: What are Ocupational Therapists Doing?] / Habiliter les travailleurs à préserver leur santé mentale: Que font les ergothérapeutes?

Background. Occupational therapists support workers who have experienced a mental health issue in their return-to-work process, but can also support the maintenance of long-term healthy participation. Little scientific literature exists to understand this emerging role. Purpose. To describe occupational therapists' interventions with respect to enabling workers to maintain their mental health. Method. Using a descriptive qualitative design, interviews were conducted with 19 occupational therapists working in socioprofessional rehabilitation. Findings. Occupational therapists reported to implemente 31 interventions, devided in eight categories. These interventions were mainly focused on the workers themselves; those involving the environment were less developed. Implications. The interventions described with specificity offer concrete levers that occupational therapists can use in their practice. However, research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions.

RésuméDescription. Les ergothérapeutes accompagnent les travailleurs ayant subi une atteinte à la santé mentale dans leur processus de retour au travail, mais peuvent aussi favoriser le maintien d'une participation saine à long terme. Peu d'écrits scientifiques permettent de comprendre ce rôle émergent. But. Décrire les interventions des ergothérapeutes en regard de l'habilitation des travailleurs à préserver leur santé mentale. Méthodologie. Selon un devis de recherche qualitatif descriptif, des entrevues ont été menées auprès de 19 ergothérapeutes œuvrant en réadaptation socioprofessionnelle. Résultats. Les ergothérapeutes mettent en place 31 interventions réparties en huit catégories. Ces interventions sont principalement axées sur le travailleur lui-même; celles impliquant l'environnement étant moins développées. Conséquences. Les interventions décrites avec spécificité offrent des leviers concrets que les ergothérapeutes peuvent utiliser dans leur pratique. Des travaux de recherche sont toutefois requis pour évaluer l'efficacité de ces interventions.

Semantic Processing in Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review of the N400 Differences.

Semantic deficits are common in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). These deficits notably impact the ability to understand words. In healthy aging, semantic knowledge increases but semantic processing (i.e., the ability to use this knowledge) may be impaired. This systematic review aimed to investigate semantic processing in healthy aging and AD through behavioral responses and the N400 brain event-related potential. The results of the quantitative and qualitative analyses suggested an overall decrease in accuracy and increase in response times in healthy elderly as compared to young adults, as well as in individuals with AD as compared to age-matched controls. The influence of semantic association, as measured by N400 effect amplitudes, appears smaller in healthy aging and even more so in AD patients. Thus, semantic processing differences may occur in both healthy and pathological aging. The establishment of norms of healthy aging for these outcomes that vary between normal and pathological aging could eventually help early detection of AD.