A survey to explore the interventions used by occupational therapists and occupational therapy students with refugees and asylum seekers

Abstract

Introduction Current trends in forced displacement have resulted in significant numbers of refugees and asylum seekers. The health needs of this population have been documented and occupational therapists are well placed to address their occupational needs (WFOT, 2014). Little research has been conducted to identify occupational therapy interventions currently used with refugees and asylum seekers, thus prompting this study. Methods An electronic survey incorporating open and closed ended questions was used to identify interventions being used within occupational therapy with refugees and asylum seekers. Twentynine participants met the inclusion criteria and completed the survey. Statistical analysis of the quantitative data were performed and responses to the open questions were thematically analysed. Results Data analysis found that the participants spent the most time on: report writing / documentation, education, and leisure integration. Data from the open category question revealed that participants were also engaging in: education, mental health / counselling, research, community development, mentoring, recreation, and non-traditional occupational therapy interventions. Participants identified that the interventions they were not using, but which they thought would be useful were: addressing sexuality, support groups, driving assessment / practice, home visit / assessment, and self care assessment / practice. The main barriers encountered when providing interventions to refugee and asylum seeker populations were: language, cultural challenges, and lack of resources. Conclusion The findings of this research contribute to the knowledge base identifying interventions that occupational therapists and occupational therapy students are currently doing with refugee and asylum seeker populations in either a paid or voluntary capacity. Occupational therapists are well placed to meet the occupational needs of refugees and asylum seekers given their focus on facilitating health and well-being through participation in meaningful occupation, their stance on occupational justice and human rights, their holistic perspective, and their broad range of knowledge and expertise.

Factors Shaping Occupational Injustice among Resettled Syrian Refugees in the United States

“…Refugees also need training for skills required to attain well-paid jobs to prevent their dependency on public benefits Darawsheh et al [ 47 ]. Working with refugees is a nascent area of field of occupational therapy [ 52 ]. Regardless, occupational therapists have an integral role in offering support as their focus on enablement of meaningful occupation is associated with an imminent uplift in the sense of motivation and meaning in life [ 21 , 35 , 53 ].…”

“…Regardless, occupational therapists have an integral role in offering support as their focus on enablement of meaningful occupation is associated with an imminent uplift in the sense of motivation and meaning in life [ 21 , 35 , 53 ]. The educational programs of occupational therapy need to integrate fieldwork experiences and training on working with refugees [ 47 , 52 , 54 ]. Occupational therapists need to act as advocates in accessing public services [ 55 ], which implies that part of occupational therapists' role is to navigate and maximize opportunities of engagement in meaningful work.…”

The current and future contribution of occupational therapy and occupational science to transforming the situation of forced migrants: Critical perspectives from a think tank

“…One member suggested that additional attention should also be given to people displaced by environmental issues related to climate change, which demands the development of an Eco-social Occupational Therapy practice from an occupational ecology perspective (Simó Algado, 2012;Simó Algado & Townsend, 2015). Since the think tank, other members are actively disseminating their forcedmigration research within and outside of occupational therapy and sciences, including two recent papers (Roosen & Brandt, 2018;Trimboli & Halliwell, 2018). Additionally, it can be said that the think tank was a foundation stone for current and future collaboration between the participants.…”

Exploring the Role of Occupational Therapy and Forced Migration in Canada

“…Specific to Canada, the Occupational Justice for Newcomers Network (OJNN) is a Practice Network 2 with the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) launched in 2017 in the wake of the political and media attention placed on the Syrian refugees welcomed to Canada (Occupational Justice for Newcomers Network -OJNN, 2017). Despite increasing interest, there remains limited research on the scope and nature of occupational therapy roles related to forced migration (Darawsheh, 2019;Huot et al, 2016;Trimboli & Halliwell, 2018;Trimboli & Taylor, 2016;Siddiqui et al, 2019;Suleman & Whiteford, 2013;World Federation of Occupational Therapists, 2019), especially in the Canadian context. As such, it is imperative to understand the current landscape of occupational therapy practice in addressing forced migration and associated occupational injustice.…”