Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and associated factors among University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences non-academic workers: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders most commonly contribute to years lived with disability among workers. Heavy physical work, static work posture, awkward posture, force exertion, lifting and repetitive movements increase the risk of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and associated factors among non-academic workers at the University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Non-academic workers included security personnel, catering staff, drivers, library staff, clerical staff, technicians and janitorial staff. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The study used a cross-sectional analytical design. One hundred and eight non-academic workers at the University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences were sampled through proportional stratified sampling in January 2021. An adapted Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire capturing socio-demographics and ergonomic risk factors was used to gather data. SPSS v24 was used for data analysis including frequencies, tests of association and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: One hundred non-academic workers from the University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences responded. The 3-month and 12-month prevalences of work-related musculoskeletal disorders were highest in the lower back (n = 72, 72% and n = 75, 75%) and wrists/hands (n = 60, 60% and n = 69, 69%) respectively. Sociodemographic factors such as age (p = 0.002), gender (p < 0.001), educational level (p = 0.008) and worker category (p < 0.001) were associated with increased work-related musculoskeletal disorders, while work experience (p = 0.002) was associated with a decreased prevalence of back pain and discomfort. Females (AOR = 55.90; 95% CI [3.84, 814.54]), security personnel (AOR = 39.53, 95% CI [1.57, 996.00]), catering staff (AOR = 91.3295% CI [2.24, 3724.78]) and those who attained bachelor's degrees (AOR = 73.25, 95% CI [1.46, 3682.39]), higher national diplomas (AOR = 93.49, 95% CI [1.28, 6848.04]) and national diplomas (AOR = 52.22; 95% CI [1.09, 2510.73]) had higher odds of experiencing WMSDs. Increased working experience was protective against experiencing lower back pain (AOR = 0.84; 95% CI [0.74, 0.95]). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders was high among the participants. This was influenced by the nature of work as well as cultural factors. RECOMMENDATIONS: Occupational therapists and physiotherapists need to design focused ameliorative and health promotive interventions targeting at-risk populations in universities. Employers should consider developing wellness programs for workers and promoting healthy working environments.

Depressed mood as a transdiagnostic target relevant to anxiety and/or psychosis: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Depressed mood is a psychological state characterised by sadness or loss of interest in activities. Depressed mood is a highly prevalent symptom across major mental disorders. However, there is limited understanding of the burden and management of comorbid depressed mood across major mental disorders. Therefore, this scoping review aims to summarise knowledge on depressed mood among persons with anxiety and/or psychosis. The specific aims are to describe the epidemiology and risk factors of depressed mood as a transdiagnostic target among persons with anxiety and/or psychosis, to identify commonly used outcome measures for depressed mood and to outline initial evidence of psychometric robustness and to identify and summarise the effectiveness of commonly applied depressed mood modification interventions. Our hope is that the proposed review will provide insights into the burden of depressed mood in persons with anxiety and psychosis and help to identify evidence gaps and recommendations for future research. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This scoping review will be conducted per Arksey and O'Malley's framework. We will first search for peer-reviewed articles and grey literature published from 2004 to 2023 in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Africa-Wide Information, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Academic Search Premier, Humanities International Complete, Sabinet, SocINDEX, Open Grey and Google Scholar. We will include articles reporting depressed mood (subthreshold depression) among persons with anxiety and/or psychosis. Studies recruiting participants meeting depression diagnostic criteria and those published in non-English languages will be excluded. Two independent researchers will extract the data. We will analyse and chart data collaboratively with researchers with lived experiences of depressed mood. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study does not require ethical approval as it is a literature review. The results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Supported employment interventions for workplace mental health of persons with mental disabilities in low-to-middle income countries: A scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence of supported employment interventions in low-to-middle income countries, documents their impact for persons with mental disorders in the open labour market and well as support decision making for its wider implementation in the workplace. DESIGN: The scoping review is conducted following guidelines in the Arksey and O'Malley (2005) Framework. DATA SOURCES AND ELIGIBILITY: Eleven databases which are PubMed, Scopus, Academic Search Premier, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Africa-Wide Information, Humanities International Complete, Web of Science, PsychInfo, SocINDEX, Open Grey and Sabinet were searched for articles published between January 2006 and January 2022. Both peer-reviewed articles and grey literature were eligible if they were on supported employment interventions in low-to-middle income countries. Only articles published in English were included. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS: Articles were screened at title, abstract and full article levels by two independent teams with the use of Rayyan software. Deductive thematic analysis was used to synthesize evidence on the supported employment interventions implemented in LMICs, capturing evidence of their outcomes for persons with mental disabilities securing competitive work. RESULTS: The search yielded 7347 records and after screening by title and abstract, 188 studies were eligible for full article screening. Eight studies were included in this scoping review. Thematic descriptions of the findings were based on the availability of supported employment interventions within the context, the type of supported employment interventions as well as mental health and vocational outcomes in the workplace. CONCLUSIONS: There is limited evidence of supported employment interventions in low-to-middle income countries despite the promising potential it has as an intervention to address mental health problems in the workplace and facilitate work participation by persons with mental disabilities.

Inter-sectoral work practice in Zimbabwe: Professional competencies required by occupational therapists to facilitate work participation of persons with disabilities.

BACKGROUND: Persons with disabilities experience higher unemployment rates and limited participation in work. Occupational therapy can promote participation and engagement in work by persons with disabilities. However, there is no clarity on the required set of competencies for entry-level occupational therapists with a bachelor's degree to start up and participate in inter-sectoral work practice initiatives in Zimbabwe. AIMS: To explore what work practice competencies entry-level occupational therapists require to meet the work-related needs of persons with disabilities. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This exploratory qualitative research sought to explore what professional competencies entry-level occupational therapists required for them to offer collaborative inter-sectoral work practice initiatives for persons with disabilities within the Zimbabwean context. Six participants selected using criterion sampling, participated in semi-structured interviews. Inductive content analysis was conducted. The Stellenbosch Health Research Ethics Committee and Medical Rehabilitation Practitioner's Council of Zimbabwe gave ethical clearance and permissions to conduct the study. RESULTS: Three themes; core knowledge for work practice, skills for work practice and occupational therapy professional attributes; emerged. These were used in formulation of ten professional competency statements for occupational therapists offering work practice services. CONCLUSIONS: Although Zimbabwean occupational therapists require similar competencies for work practice as those required in other countries, additional competencies that fall outside traditional health care contexts are essential in order to promote contextually relevant practice.

Professional competencies required by occupational therapists to facilitate the participation of persons with mental disability in work: A review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Unemployment rates are generally higher among persons with mental disabilities who experience many barriers and challenges that limit their participation in work and employment. Occupational therapy can play a key role in promoting participation and engagement in work by persons with mental disabilities. OBJECTIVE: This review sought to identify the barriers and facilitators to work participation for persons with mental disabilities globally in comparison to Zimbabwe, and to identify the competencies related to work practice in occupational therapy curricula internationally and regionally. METHODS: A narrative literature review was conducted using the SALSA (Search, Appraisal, Synthesis and Analysis) framework which informed retrieval and analysis of articles published between 2012 and 2018. RESULTS: Fifty-one out of 227 articles were selected to inform the review. A synthesis of the literature provided insights and ideas on facilitators and barriers to work for persons with mental disabilities and the competencies related to work practice in occupational therapy curricula. CONCLUSION: Barriers to participation in work for persons with mental disabilities are real. However, occupational therapists from different contexts have a variety of competencies to facilitate participation in work. There is a need to develop work practice competencies particular to the Zimbabwean context.

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

OBJECTIVE: To 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. DESIGN: This scoping review protocol followed Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) Scoping Review Framework. DATA SOURCES AND ELIGIBILITY: The 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 SYNTHESIS: We 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. RESULTS: From 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. CONCLUSIONS: To 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.

Occupational justice and social inclusion in mental illness and HIV: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Mental illness and HIV remain prevalent as chronic and stigmatised conditions and a global public health concern. Disability-adjusted life-years due to comorbid neuropsychiatric conditions and HIV are rising. Occupational justice and social inclusion emphasise the importance of equity and the utility of resources and opportunities for all to engage in diverse, healthy and meaningful activities. However, succinct conceptualisation of social inclusion and occupational justice, including the relationship between these concepts is still limited. This hampers their effective utilisation in research and practice. Here, we present our scoping review protocol to appraise literature to describe and explain the state of conceptualisation of occupational justice and social inclusion in relation to mental illness and HIV. We are aiming to review the definitions, current utilisation and relationships between occupational justice and social inclusion to inform further theorisation and practice application. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This scoping review protocol follows existing guidelines for scoping reviews in occupational therapy with particular attention on Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) scoping review framework. We iteratively developed a search strategy and carried out our search using the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Africa-Wide Information, Humanities International Complete, Web of Science, PsychInfo and SocINDEX. To enhance the comprehensiveness of our search and capture all relevant information, we will also search a variety of grey literature sources. Two reviewers will independently screen eligible studies for inclusion. Bibliographic data, abstract content and aspects of the study design and findings will be extracted and thematically analysed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: As secondary analysis, this scoping review does not require ethics approval. Results will summarise and disseminate existing research related to occupational justice and social inclusion in mental health and HIV/AIDS care, describing the conceptualisation, relationships between concepts and identifying gaps for further research and practical application. We will disseminate the results through peer-reviewed journals and conferences, targeting clinicians, academics, researchers and policy makers.