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 178 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTOther2025Challenges and Opportunities of the Human-Centered Design Approach: Case Study Development of an Assistive Device for the Navigation of Persons With Visual Impairment.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesUsers said travel aids often failed on broken streets, felt uncomfortable, drew unwanted attention, and risked theft. A first indoor prototype detected head-level objects 91% of the time, but no control group was reported.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Motor and cognitive changes across 2 years: a longitudinal study in early Multiple Sclerosis.Archives of physiotherapyEarly MS patients stayed functionally stable over two years. Cognition and fatigue did not worsen, and some walking measures even improved. Wearable sensors gave conflicting results. This suggests two years is too short to see decline, so do not assume rapid deterioration in stable patients.
• PTOTCohort2025Functional independence during hospitalization in patients with intensive care unit-acquired weakness.Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients who developed ICU-acquired weakness had consistently lower daily living independence scores during hospitalization. At discharge, 84% of this group had hospitalization-associated disability compared to 52% of those without weakness. Early targeted rehabilitation may be needed for these patients.
• OTOther2024Development of a driving clinical decision pathway for non-driver trained occupational therapists.The British journal of occupational therapyOccupational therapists without driver training reported that a new clinical decision pathway helps them manage driving conversations. They found the flowchart and documentation templates useful for guiding referrals and reducing time spent on decisions.
• OTQualitative2024Exploring the impact of early-stage dementia on everyday activities.The British journal of occupational therapyPeople with early-stage dementia struggle most with complex, unfamiliar tasks like managing medication or new technology, not just routine self-care. They also face social withdrawal and post-diagnosis mental health impacts, requiring tailored support beyond basic domestic safety checks.
• OTQualitative2024Acceptability and usability of assistive equipment and technology by individuals with multiple sclerosis: A qualitative study with occupational therapists.The British journal of occupational therapyOccupational therapists working with MS linked acceptance of assistive equipment to cognition, emotional meaning and trying equipment in valued tasks. They said acceptance could depend on the equipment helping a valued activity, graded trials and listening.
• PTOTSurvey2025Health systems and quality of life: The situation of South Africans with spinal cord injury.The South African journal of physiotherapySouth Africans with spinal cord injury using private healthcare reported higher overall quality of life than public users, and private users faced fewer problems with transport, medications, devices and nursing care.
• OTSystematic Review2025Factors affecting retention of occupational therapists in adult mental health service: A systematic review with narrative synthesis.The British journal of occupational therapyMental health occupational therapists are more likely to stay when they receive strong team support, supervision, and recognition. Retention drops when professional identity erodes due to generic roles, high workload, and poor management. Staffing models that dilute OT-specific skills correlate with higher turnover.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Predictors of return to work among mine workers following on-duty injury: A scoping review.The South African journal of physiotherapyOnly 3 studies met criteria. Among injured mine workers, slower return to work was linked to pain, longer rehabilitation, PTSD, job stress, and unsupportive supervisors; faster return to work was linked to income, sleep, job satisfaction, and workplace support.
• PTOTOther2025Content validity of mobility measures in arthrogryposis multiplex congenita: engaging clinicians and people with lived experience.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStandard mobility tools for children with arthrogryposis miss key aspects like pain, fatigue, and compensatory strategies such as scooting. They do not fully capture real-world mobility challenges, so clinicians should supplement these measures with assessments of assistive device use and environmental barriers.
• PTOTRCT2025Individual and combined applied robotic hand rehabilitation and conventional rehabilitation for post-stroke hemiplegia: a prospective three-arm randomized study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineConventional occupational therapy improved upper limb function after stroke. Adding robotic hand therapy did not significantly beat conventional alone. Robotic hand therapy plus home-based Bobath exercises did not improve upper limb function.
• OTQualitative2025An exploration of women's occupational participation and identity during menopause: Descriptive qualitative study.The British journal of occupational therapyFive perimenopausal women described how not recognising their symptoms as menopause caused distress and job loss. They reported losing their 'mojo' for hobbies and work, straining family roles. Two women adapted by changing careers. This describes lived experience, not treatment efficacy.
• OTSurvey2025Interprofessional collaboration: Measuring occupational therapists and teachers' perceptions of collaborative practice in inclusive Australian primary schools.The British journal of occupational therapyTeachers and occupational therapists rated their collaboration as better than average, with no significant difference in their total scores. However, teachers rated themselves higher on flexibility and shared goals. Systems factors like time were the strongest barrier to collaboration.
• PTOTQualitative2025Perspectives on adherence to prescribed home exercises after polytrauma: A qualitative study.The South African journal of physiotherapyPolytrauma patients reported more barriers than facilitators to home exercises. Physical pain, stiffness, and weakness hindered performance, while memory issues and fatigue reduced recall. Environmental constraints like weather, lack of space, and work schedules further limited adherence.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Primary care rehabilitation after Knee Replacement - a cross sectional study.Archives of physiotherapySwedish physiotherapists report knee range of motion and managing swelling are the hardest post-surgery challenges. They prioritize early active movement and strength. Many patients are unprepared for the long recovery and severe initial pain, highlighting the need for pre-operative education.
• OTQualitative2025Occupational therapist's involvement in social prescribing: A qualitative interview study.The British journal of occupational therapyOccupational therapists struggled to define their role distinct from social prescribing, often viewing it as an overlap or a step-down service. They reported emotional responses to this identity challenge, while managing workflow through delegation and joint visits.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Validity & Reliability of Using Musculoskeletal Ultrasound to Measure Cervical Disc Height.International journal of sports physical therapyMusculoskeletal ultrasound measured cervical disc height with good to excellent reliability and validity compared to MRI in healthy young adults. Ultrasound readings averaged slightly lower than MRI, but the difference fell within expected measurement error. This supports ultrasound as a safe, accessible tool for research and clinical assessment.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Developmental Profiles of Young Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Their Associated Predictors.Child: care, health and developmentDeaf and hard of hearing children show higher rates of developmental delay than the general population, with 35% scoring below cut-off in communication. Prematurity, low birthweight, and medical comorbidities predict delays across all domains, regardless of hearing loss severity.
• OTQualitative2025Occupational therapy students' and educators' perspectives and understanding of the role of occupational therapy within social prescribing: A qualitative interview study.The British journal of occupational therapyOccupational therapy students knew social prescribing existed but felt unprepared for the role. They lacked practical experience and a shared definition. Educators believed the profession's core skills fit perfectly, yet students struggled to distinguish their role from link workers without clinical exposure.
• PTOTCohort2025Engagement With Recommended Developmental Follow-up and Supports Among Infants With Intrauterine Opioid Exposure.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPAmong infants with prenatal opioid exposure, 93% were referred to early intervention, but only 73% were evaluated and 58% enrolled. Only 34% attended a developmental follow-up visit. Infants staying with parents attended follow-up less often.
• OTSurvey2025Exploring ableism and occupational therapy: Occupational therapy students' perspectives.The British journal of occupational therapyOccupational therapy students reported witnessing ableism in education and placements, such as denied adjustments and stigmatising language. While most agreed the profession prioritises independence and daily living tasks, they overwhelmingly wanted to learn more about disability studies to address these issues.
• OTQualitative2025Learn@Lunch: Developing a continuing professional development programme to raise knowledge and awareness of drinking alcohol as an occupation in later life.The British journal of occupational therapyEight acute occupational therapists described feeling more confident about asking older patients about drinking after a lunchtime CPD programme, and the initial assessment was changed to include an alcohol question, though time pressures and hesitancy remained.
• PTOTQualitative2025'What does "remaining living at home" really mean?' Stakeholders' perspectives on everyday difficulties among older people with chronic conditions.The British journal of occupational therapyProfessionals and community representatives said older adults may refuse adaptations or hide falls because they fear being sent to a nursing home. They also pointed to money, inaccessible products and digital services as barriers to independent living.
• PTOTRCT2025Individualized transcranial direct current stimulation combined with foot core exercise improves foot and ankle sensorimotor function and static postural control in individuals with chronic ankle instability.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding individualized brain stimulation to foot exercises improved plantarflexion strength, eversion position sense, and eyes-closed single-leg balance in chronic ankle instability. However, it did not improve the primary outcomes of inversion/eversion strength or Y-balance scores.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Obstetric Care and Pregnancy Health in Autistic Individuals and Those with Other Developmental Disabilities in an Integrated Healthcare Setting in California.Autism in adulthoodAutistic and developmentally disabled patients in an integrated system had higher rates of therapeutic abortion, severe vomiting, preterm birth, and perinatal depression than general population peers. They also used emergency departments more often and had lower odds of live birth.
• OTSurvey2025Occupational therapy in pain management: An exploration and description of current UK practice.The British journal of occupational therapyUK occupational therapists in chronic pain practice described their role as holistic and biopsychosocial. They focused on meaningful occupations and involved family supporters. Barriers included staff shortages, limited multidisciplinary team inclusion, unclear role, and low pre-registration chronic pain education.
• OTQualitative2025Development of Goal-Achievement Support App to Assist Children and Families in Participating in Meaningful Occupations: Content Validation Using Delphi Method.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesTen pediatric occupational therapists rated the wording, screens, and usability of a new home-support app as acceptable after two rounds. This is not evidence that the app helps children or parents achieve goals.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Father Involvement in the Lives of Their Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the UK.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDFathers of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities described performing extensive direct care, including personal care into adulthood. They reported feeling excluded from professional meetings and struggling with mental health while trying to balance work and caregiving. Services often centered on mothers, leaving fathers as secondary participants.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Assessment Methods of Sport-Induced Neuromuscular Fatigue: A Scoping Review.International journal of sports physical therapyVertical jumps measured on force platforms are the most common way to test leg fatigue in sport. This review maps how researchers assess fatigue but does not test if these methods predict injury or guide treatment.
• PTOTQualitative2025Navigating life after multiple amputations: a qualitative exploration of rehabilitation and everyday challenges in Norway.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesFive people with multiple amputations described life as a constant negotiation with dependence. They felt trapped without prosthetics and burdened by training caregivers. Community rehabilitation often failed them with short sessions and lack of expertise, leaving them to fight for basic services.
• OTRCT2025Feasibility of post-stroke hand rehabilitation supported by a soft robotic hand orthosis in-clinic and at-home.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationEight people with chronic stroke used a soft robotic hand orthosis for five weeks of occupational therapy, first in clinic then at home. They achieved high training doses independently at home, and most showed clinically meaningful improvements in hand function that were maintained at one month.
• OTOther2025Protein-Altering Variants' Analysis in Autism Subgroups Uncovers Early Brain-Expressed Gene Modules Relevant to Autism Pathophysiology.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic children with higher and lower IQ had different numbers of protein-altering gene changes. These changes clustered in pathways linked to ion signaling, cognition, gut function, and immunity, and were often active in the developing brain.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Do functional and biological factors influence the handgrip strength: A systematic review.The British journal of occupational therapyHandgrip strength varies significantly by height, hand size, ethnicity, and occupation, not just age and gender. Therapists should compare a patient's score to norms from their specific population and consider these biological factors before judging impairment.
• OTPilot2024Assessing occupational participation among justice-involved people 'with a personality disorder': Quantitative assessments and their properties.The British journal of occupational therapyAssessments identified communication and relationship difficulties in justice-involved people with personality disorder traits. However, the OPHI-II tool failed to fit expected patterns because these patients often lack a history of stable, prosocial occupational identity, challenging the tool's assumptions.
• OTQualitative2024Doing, being, becoming and belonging in forging professional identity: Lived experiences of occupational therapists' professional identity currently working in physical health community roles in the UK.The British journal of occupational therapyFive UK occupational therapists in community physical health roles described professional identity as built over time through experience. They maintained this identity via peer support and networks, while battling role blurring and undervaluation by other professions.
• OTOther2024Embedding research within occupational therapy pre-registration training: A concept mapping study engaging staff and student voices.The British journal of occupational therapyStudents and staff rated 72 ideas for embedding research in occupational therapy training. Ideas like service-user involvement and academic writing were seen as both important and working well. Making research fun, providing dissertation examples and practice-based project opportunities were rated important but not currently successful.
• OTSLPOther2025Explore the Overall Benefit Index and its correlation with item difficulty among dysphagia-related syndromes in the ICF framework.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineComputer modeling of 150 patients identified participation in ceremonies and hobbies as having the highest potential to improve overall function, despite being difficult to address. This suggests targeting meaningful social goals may yield greater functional gains than easier, lower-impact tasks.
• OTSystematic Review2025Digital Psychological Wellbeing Interventions for Family Carers of Children and Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDDigital wellbeing support for carers of people with intellectual disabilities is generally acceptable and often improves stress or mood, but the evidence is weak. No single online programme is proven effective enough to recommend for routine clinical practice.
• PTOTRCT2025Specialized orthotic care to improve functioning in adults with neuromuscular disorders: results of an open-label blinded end-point randomized controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineSpecialized orthotic care helped adults with neuromuscular disorders reach personal walking goals and improved perceived physical functioning more than usual care. However, it did not significantly reduce the energy cost of walking compared to usual care, though the specialized group did improve on their own.
• OTQualitative2025Understanding occupational therapy perinatal mental health practice in mothers from ethnic minorities: A qualitative study of practitioner perceived barriers and enablers.The British journal of occupational therapyEight UK occupational therapists working in perinatal mental health described struggling to reach ethnic minority mothers due to stigma, language barriers and a lack of culturally appropriate assessments. They felt their own cultural knowledge was insufficient and that mandatory training did not help.
• PTOTQualitative2025Understanding School Presenteeism and Absence in Adolescents Affected by Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Qualitative Study.Child: care, health and developmentAdolescents with chronic musculoskeletal pain and their parents described being at school and taking part as shaped by being believed by staff, having trusted friends, and managing transitions. Walking aids sometimes drew stigma. Adjustments were described as making it easier to stay in school.
• OTQualitative2025Three Years on From "Stay at Home": Perspectives of People With Intellectual Disabilities About the Ongoing Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDEight people with intellectual disabilities described lockdown as stripping away their daily routines and independence. Loss of access to pharmacies and shops caused distress. Group living brought isolation and bereavement. Families and charities helped maintain connection. Participants remain angry about the government's handling of the pandemic.
• OTSLPSurvey2025The Relationship Between Personal Wellbeing, Choice and NDIS Individualised Planning and Support for People With Intellectual Disabilities.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDPeople with intellectual disability reported high everyday choice but little control over key life decisions like budgeting, staff, or leaving a program. Wellbeing was linked to health, not to NDIS funding. Group home residents had less choice than those living independently.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Effects of lower limb botulinum toxin injections on gait functional outcomes in stroke survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineLower limb botulinum toxin injections do not improve walking speed in chronic stroke survivors. While the treatment effectively reduces muscle spasticity, this tone reduction does not translate into better gait function. Clinicians should not expect functional walking improvements from these injections alone.
• OTQualitative2025A qualitative study exploring occupational therapist's experiences of delivering interventions to patients in seclusion whilst working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.The British journal of occupational therapySix UK occupational therapists working in mental health seclusion described battling a team view that seclusion is punishment. They argued for continuing therapy to reduce isolation and shorten stays, using graded activities like yoga or baking through the hatch to manage safety risks.
• OTOther2025Quality of Life and Mental Health in Caregivers of Children With Down Syndrome and Sleep Problems.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDCaregivers of children with Down syndrome and sleep problems reported significantly lower quality of life across all domains and higher stress than the general population. Depression and anxiety scores did not differ from norms. These findings suggest a need for psychosocial support but do not prove sleep problems caused these outcomes.
• OTQualitative2024Assistive technology: Occupational therapy assessment and services for people with dementia.The British journal of occupational therapyOccupational therapists described dementia assistive technology becoming supply-led: alarms and location devices fitted to risk, not to what mattered to the person. Funding, referral splits, training gaps and caregiver reassurance narrowed options.
• OTQualitative2024Using time diaries to inform occupational therapy practice for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: An exploratory study.The British journal of occupational therapyNine adults with ME/CFS found the NIH Activity Record insightful for spotting occupational imbalance, but too burdensome and rigid to capture daily symptom fluctuations. They suggested expanding rating scales and adding open comments to make it usable.
• OTQualitative2024Exploring the usefulness of real-time digitally supported fatigue monitoring in fatigue management: Perspectives from occupational therapists and brain injury survivors.The British journal of occupational therapyTen brain injury survivors and five occupational therapists found real-time digital fatigue monitoring raised awareness but was hard to interpret. Survivors struggled with data accuracy, while therapists faced time and skill barriers to using these summaries in clinical practice.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025A scoping review and thematic analysis on coping strategies used by people with aphasia.AphasiologyPeople with aphasia most commonly rely on cognitive strategies like acceptance and self-efficacy, but these work alongside social support and community access. Therapists should assess and target these internal attitudes and external resources together rather than focusing on language impairment alone.