The COVID-19 pandemic is a major problem affecting the mental health of millions of people, including healthcare workers. In this study, we analyzed risk factors and coping mechanisms that could reduce the risk of poor mental health among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted for 7 days from 30 April 2020 using a web-based questionnaire. The survey assessed various outcome measures, including the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), health status, satisfaction with daily life activities, work, leisure, and new activities, and anxiety over COVID-19. Data from 661 participants were analyzed, and 440 participants (66.6%) showed poor mental health (GHQ-12 ≥ 4). Also, our result showed that female gender, lower levels of communication with friends, and high anxiety were associated with poorer mental health. In contrast, good health status, high work satisfaction, and high satisfaction from new activities were associated with buffering mental health problem. Most participants chose an escape-avoidance coping strategy, and participants with worse mental health were more likely to adopt seeking social support as a coping strategy. These results may support healthcare workers to cope with mental health problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

College students are one of the most affected groups by self-quarantine due to COVID-19, as they may live in loneliness and anxiety, increasing their risk of mental health crisis. This study aimed to identify risk factors for poor mental health and stress coping strategies among healthcare college students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted over 7 consecutive days starting on 28 April 2020 using a web-based questionnaire. The survey assessed socioeconomic characteristics and the General Health Questionnaire-12 score, self-reported health status, anxiety, and satisfaction with daily life, work, leisure, and new activities. Approximately 70% of 223 respondents had poor mental health. Less communication with friends was the main risk factor for mental health problems. Good health status and satisfaction with leisure and new activities were associated with reduced risk of mental health problems. Students with poor mental health tended to seek social support as a stress coping strategy. This study showed that the mental health of students declined during self-quarantine, and loneliness could be the major reason. There is a need for a new form of communication and learning that deals with the isolation and loneliness of students, especially for students living alone.

Sense of coherence (SOC) is a psychological factor that contributes to mental health maintenance under stressful environment. Likewise, level of SOC might affect mental health among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic differently. In this study, we investigated the relationships between lifestyle changes and mental health (General Health Questionnaire-12: GHQ-12) among different level of SOC (weak, moderate, or strong by SOC-13). The data of 898 healthcare workers from cross-sectional survey dataset were extracted and analyzed. As results, based on GHQ-12 score, 86.1% of 244 participants with weak SOC, 60.1% of 606 participants with moderate SOC, and 31.3% of 48 participants with strong SOC had poor mental health. Both SOC levels and lifestyle changes (except alcohol consumption) had significant main effects on the GHQ-12 score. Analysis on the association between lifestyle changes and mental health status stratified by SOC level reveled that among participants with weak SOC, those who increased their leisure and activity time had reduced odds of poor mental health than those who made no changes (OR: 0.08, CI: 0.01 to 0.64). Healthcare workers with weak SOC were at risk of poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and lifestyle changes may improve their mental health.

Introduction As society becomes increasingly internationalised, it is important to consider international perspectives on occupational therapy education. There is little research on the experiences and impacts of international learning opportunities such as through academic exchange programmes. The aim of this study was to explore the impacts of an international academic exchange programme among occupational therapy students. Methods This study was conducted as a qualitative research study. Data were collected by in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine participants (three men and six women) who participated in an exchange programme at Thomas Jefferson University in the United States and graduated from Kitasato University in Japan. A grounded theory approach was used to analyse the qualitative data. Findings Educational outcomes were sorted into four categories: experience, reaction, learning and behaviour. Knowledge and experience gained from the international exchange programme had a positive impact on the personal and professional development of the participants. Participants reported that the programme helped them in acceptance of diversity, collaborating beyond boundaries and gaining confidence from challenges. These impacts persisted even after they graduated. Conclusions In an increasingly globalised world, internationalisation of occupational therapy education is significant to build a global community of occupational therapists who seek to improve their practice.

Importance: The effectiveness of robotic therapy in stroke rehabilitation has been established by many studies, and occupational therapists should consider using robotics in their clinical practice. However, little is known about occupational therapy practitioners’ experience using robotics. Objective: To explore occupational therapists’ perceptions of the mechanisms and outcomes of occupational therapy using robotics with chronic stroke patients. Design: Qualitative study with semistructured focus group interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Setting: Hospitals and institutions in Japan in which occupational therapists used robotics in their clinical practice. Participants: Twenty-seven occupational therapists with experience in using robotics with chronic stroke patients as a self-training method that involved repetitive movements of a paralyzed upper extremity. Participants were interviewed in nine focus groups. Results: Five themes—(1) body function, (2) values, (3) performance skills, (4) occupational performance, and (5) participation—and 12 subthemes were identified on the basis of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (3rd ed.). Participants indicated that robotics improved patients’ body function and promoted a desire for independence, which resulted in improved occupational performance and participation in their desired occupations. Conclusions and Relevance: Occupational therapists regarded robotics as an adjunct to other therapy, which improved patients’ body function and promoted their desire for independence. What This Article Adds: Findings from this research provide insights into using robotics to enhance occupational therapy practice.