A Photovoice study of user experiences of an occupational therapy department within an acute inpatient mental health setting

Abstract

Introduction: People admitted to acute mental health wards benefit from access to activities, but occupational therapy departments that are separate to wards have not been investigated from the user perspective. This research aimed to investigate how an occupational therapy department with specific facilities is experienced by service users in an outer London Borough acute mental health unit. Method: Photovoice, a participatory visual method, was used. Over 10 weekly sessions, five service user participants used photography to answer the research question. A final set of images with corresponding statements outlining research themes was agreed. Findings: The participants experienced the occupational therapy department as a distinct therapeutic place where they could practise skills, try out choices and manage themselves, while engaged in relevant activities for their personal recovery. The most important aspect was the staff approach to enabling the service users to engage with the department resources. Conclusion: Multiple reasons for users to engage with opportunities within the occupational therapy department were identified, revealing unique insights into the experiences of service users, facilitated by the participatory approach and visual method. Further research could develop ways of maximising occupationally and environmentally focused strategies used by staff to enhance services.

Patient and Public Involvement in Occupational Therapy Health Research: A Scoping Review

“…Nine studies integrated PPI in the description of research approach, described as “photovoice with user involvement as its core” ( Andonian & MacRae, 2011 ; Birken & Bryant, 2019 ), “participatory action research” ( Baker & Procter, 2014 ; Crabtree, Ohm, et al, 2016 ; Trentham & Neysmith, 2018 ), “a method for involving stakeholders in a structured process” ( Nielsen et al, 2019 ), or “participatory research using a qualitative approach” ( Makdisi et al, 2013 ; Ripat et al, 2010 ).…”

“…Descriptions of how PPI were carried out varied considerably across the studies. PPI at the initial stages of research was for example described as involvement in processes related to funding and study approvals ( Birken & Bryant, 2019 ), development of research ideas or aims ( Crabtree, Ohm, et al, 2016 ; Turcotte et al, 2019 ), concept or study design ( Simpson et al, 2020 ). PPI was also reported with respect to involvement in the data collection strategy ( Bryant et al, 2016 ; Makdisi et al, 2013 ): by including public collaborators in interviewer team ( Birken & Harper, 2017 ; Crabtree, Ohm, et al, 2016 ; Hancock et al, 2015 ) or in the collection of data ( Birken & Bryant, 2019 ; Turcotte et al, 2019 ).…”

“It takes a village to get through cancer,” A photo-elicitation study exploring lived experiences of community cancer survivors

“…Visual methodology adds value by capturing rich, multidimensional data, and allows participants the freedom of choosing topics to discuss in the focus groups, thus uncovering deeper layers of meaning and gaining insights into participants’ everyday worlds (Glaw et al., 2017; Wang, 1999). Using photos can capture experiences beyond words and is a method being used more frequently in health research (Birken and Bryant, 2019; Wang and Burris, 1997).…”

“…To meet the needs of this growing population, it is necessary to first understand the feelings, thoughts, and perceptions of those diagnosed with and living beyond cancer; therefore, gaining a deeper understanding of how these physical and psychosocial side effects impact the cancer experience is imperative. Due to the multifaceted impact that a cancer diagnosis and treatment has on an individual’s life, more qualitative research is necessary to better understand the unique experiences of survivors in order to inform client-centered, holistic care for this population (Birken and Bryant, 2019; Duijts et al., 2014; Hwang et al., 2015). The objectives of this research study were to investigate how cancer affects occupational performance and how occupational therapy practitioners can support individuals through survivorship.…”

What about Using Photovoice for Health and Safety?

“…A search for scientific sources shows that photovoice is being used in relation to well-being and safety of patients with a variety of both physical health problems [128], e.g., diabetes [68,72], asthma [129], heart disease [130], and mental health problems, e.g., violation victims [131], war induced PTSS syndrome [132], mental illness or experiences [133].…”