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 180 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTQualitative2025'You Understand Me': Experiences of Peer Mentors Delivering Support for a Mindfulness Intervention to Family Carers of People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDPeer mentors who were family carers described flexible paid mentoring as meaningful, confidence-building and a route back to work. Shared caring experience helped them connect with family carers, but manual limits sometimes felt too narrow.
• PTOTRCT2025Multimodal assessment of a BCI system for stroke rehabilitation integrating motor imagery and motor attempts: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke patients using a brain-computer interface with real-time feedback showed greater upper limb motor recovery than controls receiving standard care. The effect was small (2.8 points on the Fugl-Meyer scale) and driven by proximal arm function, not wrist or hand movement.
• OTQualitative2025Addressing client spirituality in occupational therapy practice: A qualitative study.Australian occupational therapy journalAustralian occupational therapists described asking about client spirituality as an informal, intuitive process driven by rapport and cues rather than structured protocols. They responded by listening, referring, or integrating spiritual practices into daily occupations, often navigating uncertainty about professional boundaries.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Healthcare Access, Satisfaction, and Affordability: Experiences and Barriers of People with Aphasia.AphasiologyStroke survivors with aphasia reported more difficulty contacting providers after hours and higher rates of bill payment problems than those without aphasia. Black and Hispanic participants with aphasia faced significantly worse access, satisfaction, and affordability outcomes compared to White participants.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Transportation Access in the Transition to Adulthood: Navigating a Neurotypical World on the Autism Spectrum.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregivers and providers describe autistic youth hitting barriers in transit, driving tests, and school travel training. Sensory overload, stigma, and poor coordination with schools block independence. Low-income families face higher costs and fewer options, deepening inequities in adult outcomes.
• PTOTOther2025Lifestyle Composite and Resilience to Alzheimer's Disease Pathology in Down Syndrome.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDFor adults with Down syndrome and similar amyloid levels, higher physical activity was associated with fewer dementia symptoms and better cognitive scores. The combined lifestyle composite showed a similar protective effect, but physical activity alone had the strongest association.
• OTOther2025Career planning and development for occupational therapists working in mental health: A scoping review.The British journal of occupational therapyJob satisfaction among mental health occupational therapists was linked with meaningful, discipline-specific work and supervision. Career pathways and early career programmes were supports; workload, role blurring and resource shortages were barriers.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025The Caregiver Concerns Questionnaire: A Tool to Target Care for Children on the Autism Spectrum.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregivers of autistic children rated moderate or severe problems in 7 of 19 areas on average. Language and attention concerns dropped with age, while anxiety and social interaction concerns rose. Sleep and gut issues tracked with behavioral problems.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Application of Sensory Subtypes: Understanding Core Autism Features, Adaptive Behaviors, and Motor Skills in Autistic Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children classified as having extreme-mixed sensory differences showed significantly lower motor skills, adaptive behavior, and higher repetitive behaviors compared to those with mild sensory differences. Children with attenuated-preoccupied sensory profiles demonstrated notably higher motor skills than the extreme-mixed and sensitive-distressed groups.
• OTOther2026Expert Consensus on a Cognitive Rehabilitation Learning Package for Novice Occupational Therapists.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthExpert occupational therapists prioritized teaching novices to interpret errors during activity analysis and modify rehabilitation plans. They recommended video demonstrations and case studies as the best methods to build clinical reasoning for cognitive rehabilitation in hospital settings.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2025Using photovoice to engage underserved children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their caregivers in health research: a mixed methods systematic review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPhotovoice is a feasible research method for engaging children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their caregivers, but it requires significant adaptation. Clinicians should expect to modify consent, group sizes, and discussion formats to accommodate communication and sensory needs, as standard protocols often fail.
• OTOther2025Occupational Therapy Acute Care Self-Efficacy Scale (OTACSES): Development, Test-Retest Reliability, and Precision.Occupational therapy internationalA new 10-item survey reliably measures OT students' confidence in acute care knowledge and skills. Scores stay stable over time, allowing educators to track growth and identify specific gaps before students enter clinical rotations.
• OTQualitative2025Occupational therapy students experience professional reasoning during their practice-based learning: A dialogical analysis.The British journal of occupational therapyStudents described reasoning as overwhelming, comparing it to a 'nine-track mind' rather than simple models. Fast acute settings and being observed stifled their thinking, while autonomy, time, and SOAP notes helped them manage the complexity.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Qualitative insights from an online community-based exercise intervention for persons living with HIV.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesParticipants living with HIV valued online exercise for avoiding stigma and gym costs, but found the technology burdensome and the weekly surveys exhausting. They preferred home-based comfort over public gyms, yet struggled with webcam privacy concerns and the pressure of constant data collection.
• OTOther2025Locus coeruleus tonic upregulation increases selectivity to inconspicuous auditory information in autistic compared to non-autistic individuals: a combined pupillometry and electroencephalography study.Molecular autismIn autistic individuals, pupil size rose more early in a passive listening task and was linked to stronger responses to background tones. This may reflect arousal-linked sensitivity to inconspicuous sounds, not a tested treatment.
• OTCohort2025Telehealth versus in-person delivery of an occupational therapy home visiting service: A cost analysis.Australian occupational therapy journalTelehealth home visits saved the health system $4 million overall, driven by fewer inpatient and emergency admissions. However, costs for pressure injuries were more than double in the telehealth group, likely due to delayed detection. Use caution with patients at risk of pressure injuries.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Effects of telerehabilitation on physical function and activities of daily living in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a scoping review.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn ALS telerehabilitation studies, respiratory muscle training reported improved breathing pressure and ALS function, while aerobic exercise, stretching, and comprehensive physical therapy did not show significant improvement. Adherence and satisfaction were high, but evidence was low.
• OTQualitative2025What Do They Think? The Opinions of Women With Intellectual Disabilities on Affective-Sexual Relationships: An Interview-Based Study.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDWomen with intellectual disabilities described facing systemic barriers in relationships, from group homes separating partners to employers threatening child custody. They identified a critical lack of accessible sex education and support, particularly for LGBTQIA+ identities and abuse survivors.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2025Associations of Adaptive Behavior and Wandering with Serious Injuries in Young Children with Autism: Study to Explore Early Development.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFor preschoolers with autism and significant early learning delays, wandering is associated with higher rates of serious injury. Conversely, those with learning delays but normal adaptive behavior skills had higher injury rates than those with delays in both areas, possibly due to caregiver overestimation of safety awareness.
• PTOTCohort2025Machine learning predicts improvement of functional outcomes in spinal cord injury patients after inpatient rehabilitation.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn 589 adults with spinal cord injury, machine-learning models predicted discharge independence better than using admission scores alone, but they were tested only within the same dataset from a single rehab centre. Do not use them to guide patient care yet.
• OTOther2025A Standardised Car Seat Transfer Test: Reliability and Concurrent Validity.Occupational therapy internationalA timed car seat transfer test gave consistent times in 42 healthy adults aged 50 or older when two raters scored the same person and when the same person was retested after 7 days. Simulator times closely matched vehicle times, but were faster.
• OTPilot2025Occupational therapy-led environmental assessment and modification-A quantitative evaluation of a pilot implementation study in a regional/rural setting.Australian occupational therapy journalOccupational therapists in a rural service successfully embedded home fall hazard assessments using a validated tool. Penetration reached 80% during implementation and rose to 97% after, with staff sustaining the practice for five years. The intervention was delivered as planned, though strict screening criteria initially excluded some high-risk clients.
• OTQualitative2025An interpretive phenomenological analysis of the experiences of disability service providers supporting people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and how these are shaped by disability policy within Australia.Australian occupational therapy journalService providers reported that supporting people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds with physical disabilities requires significantly more time for trust-building and interpretation. This need was inconsistently met by policy, causing frustration when funding did not accommodate longer appointments.
• OTSLPOther2025Psychometric Properties of the Questionnaire Epistemic Trust in People With Mild to Moderate Intellectual Disabilities or Borderline Intellectual Functioning.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDThe adapted Questionnaire Epistemic Trust shows promise for assessing curiosity and openness to help, but the hypervigilance subscale is unreliable and the test does not measure one single ability. Use only the three stable subscales for now.
• OTQualitative2025A qualitative study into the experiences of occupational therapists in addressing bed positioning needs across a range of clinical settings in an area of Wales.The British journal of occupational therapyTherapists described bed positioning as highly variable, often relying on informal aids like towels due to funding gaps. They reported feeling undertrained and uncertain about their role compared to nursing, with practice differing significantly between acute, community, and paediatric settings.
• PTOTPilot2025Patient satisfaction and tolerance of virtual reality rehabilitation in subacute ischemic stroke: a pilot study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPatients with subacute stroke reported high satisfaction and good tolerance for virtual reality rehabilitation. Most found the system clear and comfortable, with no serious adverse events. Physiotherapists rated outcomes as similar to or better than conventional therapy, supporting VR as a feasible adjunct.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025The impact of inpatient and community stroke rehabilitation on health-related quality of life in New Zealand.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineStroke survivors who received community rehabilitation reported better quality of life at 12 months than those who did not. Inpatient rehabilitation was linked to lower quality of life overall, likely because those patients had more severe strokes, though the most severely impaired saw benefits.
• OTSurvey2025Current Practice of Occupational Therapy for Common Disorders Seen in Rehabilitation Clinics in Saudi Arabia.Occupational therapy internationalNeurological conditions were the most commonly reported conditions among Saudi occupational therapists surveyed, including stroke, cerebral palsy and traumatic brain injury; therapeutic exercise was the most commonly reported intervention, and mental health was not reported.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2025Correlation study between lower limb muscle function and hemodynamics in hemiplegic patients after stroke: a prospective controlled study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineIn 20 people with stroke hemiplegia, the affected leg showed weaker muscle signals and poorer blood flow than the unaffected leg. Only on the less affected side did muscle signal frequency correlate with artery diameter. This describes impairment patterns, not treatment effects.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Impact of positive expiratory pressure buddy during exercise on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients' functional performance, lung function, and sleep quality: a randomized controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineAdding a hands-free expiratory pressure device to treadmill training for eight weeks improved breathlessness, lung function, walking distance, and sleep quality more than exercise alone. Both groups took prescribed medications, so the device's specific contribution is mixed with standard care and exercise.
• OTSystematic Review2025The role, challenges, and impact of occupational therapists in custodial settings: A scoping review.Australian occupational therapy journalOccupational therapists in custodial settings delivered direct care focused on communication, emotional and sensory regulation, independence and employability. Detainees reported benefits, but the included studies could not show the therapy alone caused them.
• OTQualitative2025Becoming through simulation-based learning: Lived experiences of occupational therapy students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.Australian occupational therapy journalOccupational therapy students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds described simulation-based learning as stressful but also a source of growth. Language delays, unfamiliar cultural expectations, and dominant local peers made them feel less heard, while supportive educators and diverse groups helped them engage.
• PTOTCohort2025Six-month trajectory of physical function in ICU survivors: Experience from an Eastern Cape centre.The South African journal of physiotherapyWalking distance improved from 6 weeks to 6 months, but 53 of 99 ICU survivors still walked less than 80% of expected distance for age, height, sex and weight at 6 months. Poorer walking was linked to lower physical and mental quality of life.
• OTSLPOther2025Elevated Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Autistic Youth and Adults: A Multinational Study.Autism in adulthoodIn this suicide-enriched sample of autistic people, many reported lifetime suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or attempts, and ideation increased through adolescence and early adulthood. The youngest reported attempt was at age 7.
• OTOther2025Reliability and validity of the measurement of interdigital muscle thickness using a caliper gauge.Journal of physical therapy scienceA simple caliper measure of thumb web muscle thickness was consistent when the same examiner repeated it and related to ultrasound, but less consistent between examiners. It was tested in 41 healthy young adults, not older patients.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Quality of life in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis: A cross-sectional comparison.The South African journal of physiotherapyAdolescent girls with scoliosis reported quality of life scores similar to healthy peers. The primary comparison found no significant difference in physical, psychological, or social well-being between the two groups.
• OTOther2025Transfer of skills acquired through Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach in children with executive functions deficits following acquired brain injury.Australian occupational therapy journalAfter CO-OP therapy during multidisciplinary rehabilitation and specialised schooling, 11 children with brain injury improved on 22 of 32 new goals they had not trained. Children with involved parents made goal progress; children with poor or no involvement made little or no progress.
• PTOTRCT2025Multi-wave locked system laser therapy in chronic non-specific neck pain: a double-blind placebo randomized-controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineMLS laser therapy did not reduce pain or disability more than a fake laser in chronic neck pain. It did increase head rotation and bending range of motion, but the pain relief was not clinically meaningful for patients.
• PTOTSLPOther2025What are the evidence-based medical management approaches for the concussed youth athlete? A scoping review.Archives of physiotherapySub-threshold aerobic exercise helps youth athletes recover faster than strict rest or stretching. Early exercise testing is safe and does not delay recovery. Head and neck cooling may reduce symptoms sooner, but overall recovery time is similar. Evidence for other treatments is weak.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026Chores Participation, Self-Efficacy, and Transition Readiness in Youths With Diabetes: Preliminary Results.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthYouths with diabetes who did more household chores independently reported higher readiness to manage their own healthcare. Self-efficacy fully or partially explained this link, suggesting chores build the confidence needed for the transition to adult care.
• OTQualitative2025Asian American Occupational Therapy Practitioners' Perspectives on Supporting the Mental Health of Asian American Caregivers for Older Adults.Occupational therapy internationalAsian American therapists reported that caregivers often hide mental health struggles due to cultural stigma and provider bias. They recommended using indirect questions about fatigue or worry, avoiding reliance on family members for translation, and actively identifying all involved caregivers rather than assuming family support is sufficient.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Mental Health as a Key Mediator for Outcomes in Postsecondary Education, Employment, and Everyday Living in Autistic Adults.Autism in adulthoodIn 140 autistic adults, higher anxiety and depression scores predicted better employment and education outcomes. This contradicts general population trends where better mental health predicts success. The authors suggest that maintaining this level of functioning requires intense masking, which exhausts the individual and worsens mental health.
• PTOTQualitative2025An Intensive Upper Extremity Program Coupled With a Wearable Device for Poststroke Rehabilitation: A Qualitative Study of the Perspectives of People With Stroke.Physical therapyStroke survivors found a virtual arm rehabilitation program motivating because a wearable device gave immediate feedback on hand use. Therapist support and caregiver involvement were crucial for adherence, though technology glitches and exercise fatigue posed challenges.
• PTOTCohort2025Dynamometric measurement of hand grip and pinch strength as functional independency outcome in neuromuscular diseases.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineIn 96 patients with neuromuscular disease, hand grip and pinch strength did not differ significantly between diagnostic groups, yet correlated positively with self-reported hand function and daily living independence scores.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025A qualitative follow-up on perceptions of energy management education and daily life by individuals with fatigue undergoing hemodialysis treatment.The British journal of occupational therapyPeople on dialysis described fatigue as making daily life unpredictable and guilt-inducing. They valued energy management strategies that allowed them to break tasks into smaller steps, prioritize valued activities, and accept support, helping them move from merely coping to actively rebuilding their lives.
• OTQualitative2025Return to work with fatigue after stroke: A complex occupational adaptation process.Scandinavian journal of occupational therapyPeople with post-stroke fatigue described a paradox: structure and routines are essential to sustain work, but the fatigue itself makes them impossible to maintain. Invisible task limitations were dismissed by supervisors, while noise sensitivities were accommodated.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2025What Is Known About Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating in Individuals With Physical Disabilities? A Narrative Review.Child: care, health and developmentPeople with physical disabilities may restrict food or pursue weight loss to manage incontinence, ease mobility, or cope with stigma, rather than due to typical body image concerns. Clinicians must assess these disability-specific motivations before assuming standard eating disorder presentations.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2026Weathering the storms of climate change: Preparing persons with disabilities and the physiatrists who provide their care for extreme hurricanes.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPhysiatrists should assess patients' disaster needs at their lowest functional level, not their best. Create individualized plans covering backup caregivers, 7-day supply stockpiles, and priority utility registration for those dependent on electricity or life-support devices.
• OTSurvey2025Mental Health Stigma in the Workplace and its Association with Possible Actions of Managers to Prevent Sickness Absence of Employees with Mental Health Problems in the Swedish Private Sector: a Video Vignette Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationManagers who reported more stigma about exhaustion, anxiety or depression said they had fewer possible actions to prevent sickness absence. This was true for their own attitudes and for stigma among managerial colleagues and the company.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Return to Work Trajectories of Swedish Employees on Sick-Leave Due to Common Mental Disorders.Journal of occupational rehabilitationEmployees on sick-leave for mental disorders followed five distinct return-to-work paths over 12 months. Baseline factors like previous sick-leave length, exhaustion disorder, and work environment support predicted which path a person took, suggesting interventions should be tailored to these specific risk profiles.