Previous research suggests that physiotherapists frequently engage with patients who experience psychological distress (e.g. feelings of depression and anxiety) and that physiotherapists find suppo...

Some physiotherapists find assessing and managing clients experiencing psychological distress challenging and are uncertain regarding the boundaries of the profession's scope. To map the approaches recommended for physiotherapists in scholarly literature, with respect the assessment and management of clients experiencing psychological distress. A systematic mapping review was conducted. CINAHL, APA PsycINFO, Embase, and Medline ALL databases were systematically searched for secondary and tertiary literature relevant to the research objective. Recommended approaches were extracted from each article and analyzed descriptively and thematically. 3884 records were identified with 40 articles meeting the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Most recommendations related to identifying, assessing, and managing pain-related distress, with depression screening and referral also receiving some attention. Three approaches to detecting and assessing psychological distress were identified: 1) brief depression screen; 2) integrated suicide/nonsuicidal self-harm and depression screen; and 3) multidimensional screen and health-related distress assessment. Regarding the management of psychological distress the main approaches identified were: 1) education and reassurance; 2) cognitive-behavioral approaches; 3) mindfulness; and 4) case management. While assessment and management of health-related distress by physiotherapists is commonly recommended, further guidance is needed to differentiate various forms of distress.

Introduction: Meaningful involvement of people with lived experience is an invaluable approach to education that facilitates the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes for collaborative, compassionate and person-centred healthcare practice. The purpose of this evaluation was to gain health professional educators’ perspectives of an online learning resource that presents the lived experiences of people who have been consumers of the Australian mental health system. Methods: A cross sectional study design was used to survey educators who had registered to use the online education resource. Data were collected using an online survey and follow-up interviews. Two lived experience researchers were involved in the research. Quantitative survey data were analysed descriptively, and qualitative data were analysed thematically. Findings: The Listening to Voices online education resource is being used in a range of settings. Educators perceived the content facilitated achievement of learning outcomes related to understanding the experiences of people with mental health issues. The free, online, and flexible design of the resource promoted access and helped overcome barriers to including lived experience experts in education. The powerful impact of the resource and importance of creating safe learning environments when using the resource were highlighted. Suggestions for future developments were provided. Conclusion: Involving people with lived experience in education of healthcare students and professionals can assist in developing skills for collaborative, compassionate, and person-centred care. Implementation of co-design principles and the use of creative pedagogical approaches can contribute to the development of impactful educational resources that foreground lived experience. Making these resources flexible and freely available online improves their utility.

Previous research suggests physiotherapists’ perceived frequency of contact with clients experiencing psychological distress is common; however, there is significant variation in the frequency of s...

Occupational decision-making is currently a nascent term in occupational science literature but we contend it has potential conceptual salience to the field. Occupational decision-making can be understood as a situated process through which individuals, families, or groups respond to a contextually driven cluster of opportunities and choices in order to select the occupations they will engage in. Occupational decision-making is a process that empowers people to be agentic, rather than passive, in meaningful occupational engagement over the course of a lifetime. As a phenomenon, occupational decision-making, though quotidian, remains under-investigated and poorly understood. In this paper we present the concept of occupational decision-making as illustrated through the experiences of women making career decisions after having children, which are drawn from the first author’s doctoral research. We propose that occupational decision-making can extend current understandings of the concept of occupational choice. The benefit of an expanded understanding of decision-making is that it is portrayed as an active, creative process that can increase opportunities for occupational engagement better fitting individuals. We conclude that occupational decision-making is a complex phenomenon that requires further development from diverse ontological and epistemological standpoints.