No abstract

This study examines the changes in activity investment among older adults and the role of these changes in the relationship between health limitations and depression. Residents of six senior living facilities (N = 178) completed questionnaires including the Geriatric Depression Scale, health and functioning measures and the Revised Change in Activity and Interest Index (CAII-R) which measures self-perceived changes in the level of investment in social and leisure activities among older adults. Respondents indicated more disengagement from CAII-R subscales Active Instrumental (AI) and Active Social (AS) and increased engagement in Passive Social Spiritual. Fourth Age adults (age 80+) reported greater reductions in AI than Third Age adults (age 64-79). Reduced AS investment had the strongest association with depression and mediated the relationship between poor health or functioning and depression. These categories of activity may guide occupational therapy practitioners and other health providers in selecting the focus of intervention for older clients according to their identified life stage. The study provides evidence of distinct differences in interests within the parameters of normal aging and a baseline from which to assess the impact of illness and disability on the activity choices for clients in different life stages.

Drawing upon concepts derived from ego psychological and object relations psychoanalytic theories of individual development and from a depth group psychology, the present empirical study, a naturalistic field investigation, explored hypothesized relationships between aspects of patients' psychological boundaries and structural features of inpatient therapy groups. More specifically, patients were assessed in terms of their level (i.e., psychotic vs. borderline organization) and form (i.e., anaclitic vs. introjective) of psychopathology. Their perceptions of themselves and of their therapy groups were measured following participation in two kinds of small group treatment designed to differ in terms of degree of internal structuring. Findings, generally supporting the hypotheses, showed the anaclitic borderline patients, in particular, to be most sensitive to structural variations and most adversely affected by an impersonal and highly structured treatment climate. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings were discussed.

This article is an initial evaluation of a motor skills assessment for primary aged children. The Manchester Motor Skills Assessment (MMSA) is designed to be quick and easy for teaching assistants to complete, with the dual purposes of informing group programme planning and demonstrating an individual child's progress following a period of intervention. Inter-rater reliability checks were conducted during initial assessments of 37 children in 11 schools. Focus groups discussed practical relevance of the tool. The evidence from this small-scale study suggests that a range of assessors can reliably complete the MMSA. The tool also taps into functionally relevant motor skills for primary age children and informs programme planning. The MMSA appears to be a promising tool for supporting primary schools in identifying children with motor skills difficulties. The contribution of EPs to the MMSA's development and implementation is discussed.