Background: Minimal attention has been given to the perspectives and experiences of individuals post incarceration regarding stigma and its impact on reintegration and occupational engagement. This research aimed to understand how stigma is experienced among individuals who were formerly incarcerated and its influence on occupational engagement, specifically social participation, work, and school occupations. This research also examined the role of occupational therapy as an intervention in addressing stigma from the perspectives of individuals who were formerly incarcerated to inform practice and mitigate the influence of stigma. Method: Interviews were conducted with 10 participants of a work rehabilitation program for people who had previously been incarcerated. A thematic analysis was performed to identify major themes. Themes were organized into concept maps related to stigma as experienced by those who were formerly incarcerated. Results: Four overarching themes emerged. These themes, internal and external perceptions, and family and community systems, served to enable as well as disable the impact of stigma on daily life post incarceration. Conclusion: The themes presented increased the understanding of stigma as experienced by individuals who were formerly incarcerated and supported the need for further research and occupational therapy programming specifically aimed at minimizing the impact of stigma. Comments This study was approved by the university's institutional review board and completed in partial fulfillment of the university's occupational therapy postprofessional doctorate program. No conflicts of interest are declared.
An occupational therapy educational training group for young adults in permanent supported housing was developed, implemented and evaluated with pre-post outcome measures including Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) and the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). The study explored stress levels and employment-related goals of individuals who have aged out of the foster care system and may also have had a history of chronic homelessness and trauma. Results demonstrated a trend towards significance in perceived stress 9Z=1.689, p=0.91) with 7 of 8 participants surpassing the expected outcome according to GAS. Limitations included a small convenience sample (n=8), inconsistent attendance and use of self-report measures.
Date Presented 03/28/20
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living skill development and stress management are positively correlated with success in the employment setting. This research focused on young adults who had aged out of the foster-care system and who had a history of homelessness and trauma. Programming measured the impact of pre–post group-based OT on facilitating progress toward employment-related goals while decreasing perceived stress levels. Results showed positive clinical significance trending toward statistical significance.
Primary Author and Speaker: Josephine Beker
Additional Authors and Speakers: Tina DeAngelis
Contributing Authors: Nitasha Rivera
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