Feasibility of Addressing the Spiritual Well-Being of Persons With Multiple Sclerosis: A Mixed-Methods Program Evaluation.

IMPORTANCE: Spiritual well-being is an important aspect of health-related quality of life for persons with chronic illnesses such as multiple sclerosis (MS), yet research on interventions remains limited. OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of an occupational therapy intervention addressing the spiritual well-being of people with MS. DESIGN: Mixed-methods program evaluation using theoretical thematic analysis of qualitative data. SETTING: Community center serving people with MS in a midwestern U.S. city. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 42 participants attended at least one session; 22 participants provided qualitative data. Ten met the inclusion criteria for quantitative analysis, including completion of pretest and posttest measures and attendance of at least half of the sessions. INTERVENTION: Making Meaning, a group intervention based on the Model of Occupational Wholeness, was conducted over eight weekly 45-min sessions. The focus was on exploring and integrating spiritual practices into daily life. OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Participants completed the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being 12-Item Scale (FACIT-Sp-12) to measure spiritual well-being and answered open-ended questions. Attendance was recorded and the facilitator and observers provided qualitative observations. RESULTS: Pretest-posttest comparisons of FACIT-Sp-12 scores indicated a moderate improvement in spiritual well-being (d = 0.41). Attendance and qualitative data supported the intervention's feasibility and suggested areas for refinement. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Making Meaning is a feasible intervention, showing promise for promoting spiritual well-being for people with MS. Further research is warranted. Plain-Language Summary: This study introduces a practical and acceptable occupational therapy group intervention, Making Meaning, which shows promising potential for improving the spiritual well-being of people with multiple sclerosis.

A Qualitative Study of Stroke Survivors' Experience of Sensory Changes.

BACKGROUND.: Previous literature examined tactile and proprioceptive changes after stroke; however, the lived experience of changes in all sensory systems is still a gap in the literature. PURPOSE.: To gain understanding of stroke survivors' experience of sensory changes and how sensory changes impact participation in daily life activities. METHOD.: This study utilized a qualitative description method. Researchers used semi-structured interviews with probing questions. Inductive content analysis approach was used to analyze the data. Researchers recruited 13 stroke survivors ≤75 years old who participated in a community-based stroke program. FINDINGS.: Emerging themes included daily life impact of sensory function changes, and experience and timing of sensory changes. Participants experienced changes in various sensory systems including touch and proprioception, visual, auditory, and taste. Survivors also reported sensitivity to environmental stimuli. Sensory changes affect survivors' participation in different aspects of daily life activities. Most participants experienced sensory changes right after their stroke. IMPLICATIONS.: Results from this study inform health care providers about stroke survivors' sensory needs to help them design interventions that match their needs.

Relationship Between Sensory Processing and Participation in Daily Occupations for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of Studies That Used Dunn's Sensory Processing Framework.

Research measuring sensory processing in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has shown variability in terms of measures used and participant ages, contributing to difficulty in interpreting and summarizing the findings of these studies. In an attempt to clarify the status of the literature, we conducted a systematic review of studies that focused on participation in daily occupations and evaluated sensory processing in children with ASD aged 5-13 yr using Dunn's sensory processing framework. Evidence from 7 studies shows that sensory processing has a significant impact on participation in daily life of children with ASD. Included studies demonstrated medium and low levels of evidence. Additional research using more robust scientific methods is needed.

Sensory Patterns, Obesity, and Physical Activity Participation of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Obesity is a public health concern for the population in general and for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) specifically. The purpose of this study was to understand relationships between sensory patterns, obesity, and physical activity engagement of children with ASD (N = 77) sampled from a specialized community-based swimming program. This retrospective correlational study analyzed program data. Results show that almost half (42.2%) of the children were overweight or obese, and sensory avoiding behaviors were related to higher body mass index (BMI). Children participated in few formal and informal physically active recreation activities. Sensory seeking behaviors were associated with increased participation in informal activities, and higher BMI was associated with less participation in both formal and informal activities. Practitioners should consider sensory processing patterns and BMI when developing community-based programs to promote physical activity of children with ASD.

Coaching mothers of children with autism: a qualitative study for occupational therapy practice.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who participated in 10 one-hour coaching sessions. Coaching occurred between an occupational therapist and mother and consisted of information sharing, action, and reflection. Researchers asked 10 mothers six open-ended questions with follow-up probes related to their experiences with coaching. Themes were identified, labeled, and categorized. Themes emerged related to relationships, analysis, reflection, mindfulness, and self-efficacy. Findings indicate that parents perceive the therapist-parent relationship, along with analysis and reflection, as core features that facilitate increased mindfulness and self-efficacy. The findings suggest that how an intervention is provided can lead to positive outcomes, including increased mindfulness and self-efficacy.

Effect of art making on cancer-related symptoms of blood and marrow transplantation recipients.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To examine whether a one-hour art-making session during blood and marrow transplantation (BMT) treatment significantly affects therapy-related symptoms, state anxiety, and stress. DESIGN: A pre- and post-test crossover design. SETTING: An urban outpatient cancer center in the midwestern United States. SAMPLE: A convenience sample of 20 patients, aged 20-68 years (X = 38.5), receiving treatment at a BMT clinic. METHODS: Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Therapy-Related Symptom Checklist, and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Index, and provided salivary cortisol samples. After pretesting, individuals were assigned to either a wait list or intervention. Individuals in the wait-list group received the usual treatment before completing the post-test measures. Individuals in the intervention group participated in a one-hour art-making session, after which they completed post-test measures. Participants then crossed over to the other group. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Art making, stress, state anxiety, and therapy-related symptoms. FINDINGS: Therapy-related symptom concerns for the intervention group at post-test were significantly lower than at pretest; no change ocurred in the control group. The salivary cortisol levels were significantly lower at post-test in the intervention and control groups. No change occurred in the anxiety levels of participants in the intervention and control groups. The study hypothesis was partially supported. CONCLUSIONS: Art making decreased therapy-related symptoms (e.g., feeling sluggish, difficulty concentrating). Use of more physiologic indices to measure stress and replication on a larger sample are suggested. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Individuals receiving BMT may benefit from participation in art-making interventions. Art making is easy to implement in a clinic setting and allows for positive interactions between nurses and patients.