OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Research for occupational therapy

Papers an occupational therapist can act on, across daily living, mental health, hand therapy, paediatrics and rehabilitation, each read in full rather than from its abstract.

10,853 PAPERS · PAGE 177 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPCohort2025Early symptoms of autism spectrum disorders and association with Brazilian children's development and behavior.CoDASIn 221 Brazilian toddlers, 33% screened positive for autism risk. These children showed lower communication and social scores and higher behavioral problems. Screening should trigger holistic developmental assessment, not just an autism referral.
• OTSurvey2025Preferences of healthcare workers for security personnel to prevent occupational violence: A discrete choice experiment.Work (Reading, Mass.)Healthcare staff strongly preferred security personnel available 24/7 and with extended training, like de-escalation. They favoured interpersonal skills over physical restraint and ward-based roles over facility-wide coverage. Uniforms did not influence these preferences.
• PTOTCase Report2025Gait function progress in a patient with a femoral neck fracture who underwent rehabilitation during prolonged surgical waiting time: a case study.Journal of physical therapy scienceA woman in her 80s with a hip fracture waited 27 days for surgery. Using a soft lumbar orthosis to reduce pain, she walked with a walker before surgery and was discharged home on day 63.
• OTQualitative2025Hear Our Voice: A Photo-Elicitation Study to Explore the Social Participation of Older People With Mild/Moderate Intellectual Disability.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDOlder adults with mild intellectual disability described wanting more connection but being held back by trauma, stigma, and practical barriers rather than just their disability. They relied on trusted staff to introduce new people and needed up-to-date, accessible timetables to plan social activities.
• PTOTPilot2025Acute effects of 10-minute robotic leg movements on a dynamic tilt table in patients with chronic stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceA single 10-minute session on a dynamic tilt table with robotic leg movements significantly improved walking speed and cadence in ten patients with chronic stroke, but did not change quadriceps muscle tone. This suggests immediate gait benefits from the movement itself, without electrical stimulation.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Effectiveness of combined regenerative medicine and exercise therapy for patients with knee osteoarthritis: a scoping review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThree small studies found that adding exercise to platelet-rich plasma injections for knee osteoarthritis improved pain and function more than injections alone. The evidence is too limited to confirm this works, as the studies were small, varied in design, and had high risk of bias.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025What patient-specific factors can potentially affect physiotherapy attendance of patients with knee OA at a local hospital in Singapore?Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoStandard-care knee OA patients attended an average of 2.7 sessions. Females, those with higher BMI, previous injections, or more pain during tests attended less. Conversely, those with higher anxiety or depression scores attended more. This helps identify patients at risk of low adherence.
• OTQualitative2025The false promise of return to work for migrant workers injured on the job in Canada: When public policies intersect to create exclusion.Work (Reading, Mass.)Injured migrant workers described return to work as blocked by closed work permits, fear of employer reprisal, and inadequate compensation. Some did not file claims, abandoned jobs, or returned to unsafe duties. Reorientation was rarely accessible.
• OTQualitative2025The challenges that individuals with MDRTB and TB experience when returning to work after completing TB treatment in the Western Cape, South Africa.Work (Reading, Mass.)TB survivors described losing belief in their own potential after diagnosis, while stigma and poor local job markets blocked return to work. They valued occupational therapy activities that built confidence and offered practical work skills, not just crafts.
• PTOTSurvey2025An Investigation Into Gross Motor Skill Intervention Provisions for Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder in the Republic of Ireland: Cross Sectional Study.Child: care, health and developmentMost children waited over six months for motor skill help. When treatment arrived, it focused on daily living tasks rather than gross motor skills. Few parents were actively involved, despite high willingness to help at home.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Detection of mild cognitive impairment using a virtual reality-based stroop task: a cross-sectional study of embodied behavioral markers.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHand movement path length and hesitation time during a virtual reality sorting task distinguished people with mild cognitive impairment better than the MoCA. These digital markers showed high sensitivity and specificity in a large sample, offering a potential alternative to standard paper-based screening.
• OTSurvey2025Work-Related Quality of Life and Well-Being of Social Care Workers in the Disability Sector in Ireland.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDDisability sector social care workers in Ireland reported very low quality of work life and well-being. High organisational constraints and workload predicted these poor scores. Most workers considered resigning or intended to quit, signalling a severe retention risk rather than a clinical outcome.
• OTCohort2025Factors associated with increased work participation in aged and mildly impaired persons.Work (Reading, Mass.)In 271 adults with mild impairments, urban residence, multiple qualifications, and jobs matching personal interests were linked to longer work history and shorter unemployment. The realistic, social, and conventional interest profile was most common.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025The influence of HIV on return to work in stroke survivors amongst a population of the eThekwini district, Kwazulu Natal: A qualitative study.Work (Reading, Mass.)Stroke survivors living with HIV described fear of workplace discrimination and job loss as major barriers to returning to work. They emphasized that employer accommodation for medication appointments and a collaborative return-to-work process were essential for maintaining employment and health.
• OTOther2025The Occupational Challenges and Responses of International Graduate Students in South Korea: A Scoping Review.Occupational therapy internationalInternational graduate students in Korea struggled with rigid hierarchy and fast-paced academic demands. They adapted by accepting authority, seeking peer support, and reframing pressure as growth. However, these challenges often led to isolation, withdrawal, and reduced participation. The review highlights cultural barriers rather than testing interventions.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Shoulder Muscle Activity Through Surface Electromyography and Estimation of Physiological Fatigue Using the T-Fast Test in Patients With Glenohumeral Instability: A Cross-Sectional Study.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyWearable sensors tracking arm movement speed and acceleration during a 2-minute lifting test correlated with shoulder muscle fatigue in patients with instability. The test is a practical alternative to expensive electromyography, but the link is based on a small group and needs confirmation.
• PTOTSurvey2025Parental and Educator Perceptions of Implementing Standardized Screenings for Early Detection of Motor Skills in Preschoolers: A Representative Survey.Child: care, health and developmentParents and educators in Tyrolean kindergartens strongly support adding standardized motor screenings to routine care. They view these assessments as essential for early detection and school readiness, though they urge that screenings remain voluntary, playful, and integrated into daily routines to avoid burdening families.
• OTCohort2025Centrality of the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent post-traumatic growth in nurses: Exploring the moderating role of social connectedness.Work (Reading, Mass.)Nurses who viewed the pandemic as central to their life story reported more post-traumatic growth six months later, but this link was strongest when they also felt socially connected. High social connectedness amplified the growth from perceiving the event as life-changing.
• PTOTOther2025Evidence for return to work following complex orthopaedic injury - a scoping review.Work (Reading, Mass.)Return to work after complex orthopaedic injury has limited, inconsistent evidence. Studies mostly examined open tibia fractures, not upper limb fractures, and predictors varied by injury type and time after injury. No consistent predictors emerged.
• PTOTRCT2025Virtual reality-assisted rehabilitation for postoperative C5 palsy: a pilot exploratory randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding VR to standard care did not improve primary muscle strength measures in this small pilot. The VR group showed some better pain and quality-of-life scores, but they also received an extra hour of therapy daily, so the VR itself may not be the cause.
• OTCohort2025Comparative Analysis of Autistic Women Across the Lifespan: Childhood vs. Adulthood Diagnosis.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic women and non-binary people diagnosed in adulthood reported more psychological distress and fewer personal strengths than those diagnosed in childhood, despite higher education and employment rates. Nearly one-third endorsed suicidal ideation, with significantly higher rates among gender and sexual orientation diverse individuals.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Using game performance measure to assess upper limb motor function in children with neuromotor disorders: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationGame-based assessments for children's upper limb function show promise in distinguishing impairment levels, but lack consistent reliability data. They capture movement details better than standard clinical tests, yet cannot currently replace validated measures due to insufficient evidence on consistency over time.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Ukrainian war trauma patients abroad: the rehabilitation process in light of language barriers, cultural differences, war, and infection isolation.Journal of rehabilitation medicineUkrainian war trauma patients rated this rehabilitation 30 out of 32 for satisfaction. Professional interpreters worked best, but multilingual staff who acted as cultural mediators were highly valued. Patients reported isolation hurt their mood, though staff worried it also hindered recovery.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Transitions of 24-H Movement Behaviour Profiles From Schooldays to Weekends and Their Associations With Health-Related Quality of Life and Well-Being in Czech Adolescents.Child: care, health and developmentAdolescents who kept an active, low-sitting, good-sleep routine from school days to weekends reported higher quality of life. Those who shifted to poorer habits had significantly lower scores. Weekend drop-offs in activity were common, but not linked to worse outcomes.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Plea for routine endoscopic tracheostomy tube adjustment.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesRoutine endoscopy found two-thirds of tracheostomy tubes in neurorehab patients were malpositioned, causing visible tracheal injury in 19%. No patient factors predicted misplacement. Check tube position endoscopically upon admission or at first change.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Different approaches and their consequences for addressing the occupational health and safety of young workers: A systematic narrative literature review.Work (Reading, Mass.)Most research on young workers' safety focuses on individual biology, ignoring workplace organisation. Social support and employment status strongly influence injury and mental health. Therapists should assess working conditions and job type, not just age or risk-taking, when treating young apprentices.
• PTOTOther2025Evidence-Generated Sockets for Transtibial Prosthetic Limbs Compared With Conventional Computer-Aided Designs: A Multiple-Methods Study From the Patient's Perspective.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesAutomated socket designs matched prosthetist-made ones for comfort at fitting. But patients reported that only human-led adjustments fixed specific pain points. Use automated templates as a starting point, but keep the prosthetist in the loop to handle individual tissue sensitivity and preferences.
• PTOTOther2025Smartphone app to support goal setting in pediatric rehabilitation: app development, usability and acceptability study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTherapists found a pediatric goal-setting app easy to use and acceptable, but the study did not test whether it improves goals or child outcomes.
• PTOTCohort2025Sex-based differences in body composition and functional independence affecting discharge destination in patients undergoing convalescent rehabilitation.Journal of physical therapy scienceFor men, motor independence at discharge predicted going home. For women, a longer hospital stay predicted not going home. Body composition differed by sex but did not predict discharge destination in the final model.
• PTOTCohort2025Social factors related to participation among people with Parkinson's disease.Disability and rehabilitationFor people with Parkinson's, support from family and friends predicted higher participation in demanding leisure activities like sports. Neighborhood and community support predicted better social and overall participation. These links held even after accounting for motor, cognitive, and mood impairments.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Living Through the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Experiences of People With Profound and Multiple Intellectual Disabilities Through a Family Carer Lens.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDFamily carers described the pandemic as a traumatic event that deepened exclusion and left relatives with profound disabilities without essential therapies. They reported lasting health deterioration, lost skills, and anxiety about future care, with no recovery in services eighteen months after restrictions ended.
• OTSurvey2025Accommodation requests among older workers: The role of disability acceptance and other psychosocial factors.Work (Reading, Mass.)Perceived workplace support strongly predicted both requesting and receiving accommodations. Having a work goal predicted requesting, but not receiving. Disability acceptance did not predict requesting, and while higher in receivers, it did not predict receiving in the model.
• PTOTCohort2025Predictors of walking ability at discharge post proximal femoral fracture in an acute care hospital.Journal of physical therapy scienceOnly 28.7% of patients regained walking ability by discharge from acute care after hip fracture surgery. Pre-injury cognitive function was the only independent predictor. Low scores suggest a need for early transfer planning rather than assuming home discharge is feasible.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025The role of place types on social relationships and satisfaction as influenced by COVID and disabilities.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with disabilities rated outdoor recreation and healthcare as less important for social relationships during the pandemic. Online activities became the most important place type overall. This reflects access barriers and risk avoidance, not a change in social need.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Hospital to Home Transitions for Children With Medical Complexity: A Scoping Review of Healthcare Professionals Experiences.Child: care, health and developmentHealthcare professionals managing hospital-to-home transitions for medically complex children report lacking specific training, clear role definitions, and reliable community support. They describe heavy emotional burdens and frustration with fragmented communication, noting that when coordination fails, families become default case managers.
• PTOTOther2025Shoulder joint rotational range of motion characteristics among the elderly.Journal of physical therapy scienceElderly adults have significantly less total shoulder rotation than young adults in most arm positions. The pattern of which positions allow more movement stays the same with age, but the overall range shrinks. Therapists should measure multiple positions, not just one, to catch these changes.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025The relationships between metacognitive aspects of daily activity performance and participation patterns: Older adults' perspectives.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTCommunity-dwelling older adults reported the most difficulty with complex tasks and executive functions. These self-reported cognitive struggles correlated with participating in fewer activities, needing more assistance, and leaving the home less often, but not with how much they enjoyed those activities.
• OTQualitative2025Exploring first-year occupational therapy students' perspectives of an On-Country experience: A study from an Australian undergraduate program.Australian occupational therapy journalFirst-year occupational therapy students described an On-Country experience as a way to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and health. Some still spoke of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as past or separate, and students were unsure how to apply it.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Male and Female Healthcare Trajectories in Autism: Are There Any Differences Considering Age at Diagnosis and Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities Status?Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic females were diagnosed later than males, averaging 22.2 versus 13.9 years. Adults relied heavily on hospital and emergency care, while children used outpatient clinics. Sex differences in healthcare use varied significantly depending on age at diagnosis and intellectual disability status.
• PTOTCohort2025Correlation between respiratory muscle strength and arm muscle strength of the unaffected side in patients with sub-acute stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn stroke patients who could not walk alone, respiratory strength and arm strength on the unaffected side were both far below healthy levels. Over two months of standard rehab, these improved but did not reach normal. The two strengths tracked together closely.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025How AI-Based Digital Rehabilitation Improves End-User Adherence: Rapid Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesAI tools like wearables and apps may boost rehab adherence through reminders, feedback, and personalization. However, the evidence comes from only six small studies with high bias risk, so clinicians should view these benefits as promising but unproven.
• OTOther2025Key principles to support occupational engagement in mental health inpatient units.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTTen practice principles for leisure in mental health inpatient units were developed from prior research and reviewed by clinicians. They focus on environmental design, risk-taking, and shared responsibility. The paper presents these as expert recommendations, not tested interventions.
• PTOTCase Report2025Effect of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation for patients with chronic stroke: a case report using an AB design.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn one man with chronic stroke, repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation applied to forearm extensors improved wrist spasticity, motor scores, and self-reported daily task confidence. Because he also received routine therapy, it is unclear whether the stimulation itself caused the gains.
• PTOTQualitative2024Implementing constraint-induced movement therapy into practice in sub-acute stroke: Experiences and perceptions of stroke survivors and therapists.The British journal of occupational therapyTherapists feared stroke survivors could not tolerate intensive CIMT, but survivors chose and completed a short protocol and would repeat it. Their accounts did not match therapist expectations.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Profile and management of patients from low-middle socioeconomic status with thoracic trauma.The South African journal of physiotherapyMost patients with thoracic trauma in these South African hospitals were young men injured by assault. Physiotherapists used breathing exercises and early walking, but rarely trunk exercises. Only two patients were referred for outpatient follow-up. This describes current practice, not whether it works.
• PTOTCohort2025Goals in motion: exploring goal setting among adults living with HIV who participated in an online community-based exercise intervention.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAdults living with HIV set goals focused on physical changes like gaining muscle and losing weight. About half of these goals were achieved through online exercise. Participants found goal setting helpful, though some felt pressured by the research team rather than motivated by personal desire.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Developmental outcomes of small infants at a high-risk clinic: A short-term longitudinal study.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsAt 6 months corrected age, 8 of 28 small infants had a screening referral for developmental concerns, especially communication and motor skills. At 12 months, all 17 who attended scored above the developmental test average. This does not prove catch-up.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Automated planning and scheduling in robot-aided rehabilitation: a review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAutomated planning lets robots adapt therapy in real time, but most evidence is short-term or simulated. Clinical trials are rare. Therapists should view these tools as emerging aids for engagement and workload management, not proven treatments that replace clinical judgment.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Socio-Emotional Development in Young Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Scoping Review.Child: care, health and developmentSocio-emotional difficulties are common in young children with cerebral palsy. Severity of motor disability, communication delays and parenting difficulties were consistently linked to poorer outcomes. Most evidence relies on parent reports and cross-sectional designs, limiting causal conclusions.
• OTQualitative2025Exploring occupational therapy practice with children who are picky eaters and their families.The British journal of occupational therapyAustralian occupational therapists prioritise finding the underlying cause of picky eating before treating it. They tailor interventions to the child's sensory and physical needs and the family's context, often delaying direct feeding therapy to address health issues or caregiver capacity.