Understanding OT Practitioners’ Confidence in Treating Adolescents With Mental-Health Trauma (MHT) History

Abstract

Date Presented 04/04/19

Adolescents with mental-health trauma (MHT) history face many challenges, and increasing OT providers’ knowledge and confidence in MHT treatment may improve both advocacy for OT role in MHT and program efficacy. The current study examined feasibility and effectiveness of using a brief informational infographic to increase the confidence, knowledge, and willingness of OT providers in working with adolescents with MHT history.

Primary Author and Speaker: Jamelle Brownlee

Additional Authors and Speakers: Michelle Jackson, Anna Quigg

Contributing Authors: Joanna Cruz, Katherina Zumalt, Stacy Buckingham-Howes

PURPOSE: Mental health trauma (MHT) includes events involving near death experience, sexual violence, or serious injury. Adolescents may experience MHT through exposure to physical, mental, and sexual abuse and/or neglect. Natural disasters, illnesses, and violence may also lead to MHT among adolescents (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Petrenchik & Weiss, 2015). Adolescents with MHT history face many challenges including poor access to care due to financial constraints, lack of knowledge of resources, and stigma, but an interdisciplinary team of therapists may help ameliorate the negative impact of MHT (Marshall, 2005).

Occupational therapists are trained to work with persons with MHT in every accredited Occupational Therapy (OT) program in the United States (AOTA, 2015). OT practitioners are ideally suited to address the needs of youth with MHT, but traditionally have not been included as part of the care team (Ward, 2016). Increasing OT providers’ knowledge and confidence in MHT treatment may improve both advocacy for OT role in MHT and program efficacy. Most research on OT and MHT originates from international studies, with limited research in the United States.

The current study examined feasibility and effectiveness of using a brief informational infographic to increase the Confidence, Knowledge, and Willingness of OT providers in working with adolescents with MHT history.

DESIGN/METHOD: This study was a cross-sectional pre-/post-test design and was approved by the Human Rights Protection Committee. Participants were recruited via social media and were provided a link to the pre-test, infographic, and post-test in Google Forms. The link connected participants in step-wise fashion to teach activity. Participants could not access the infographic or post-test without completing the pre-test. The pre- and post-tests took approximately 5 minutes each. Participants were allowed to study the infographic for as long as they liked.

Preliminary analyses were conducted on data available for analysis at the time of submission (N=36; data collection is ongoing through Fall, 2018). Data were examined using descriptive statistics and a Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was conducted to examine differences between pre- and post-test responses in Confidence, Knowledge, and Willingness to Work. Other analyses will be used on the full data set.

RESULTS: Preliminary analyses (N=36) suggest median Confidence scores at post-test were significantly higher than median pre-test scores, [Z=0, p<0.05]. Median Knowledge scores at post-test were significantly higher than median pre-test scores [Z=0, p<0.05]. The median Willingness to work scores at post-test was similar to the median at pre-test. Additional data are currently being collected, and at the time of this submission, 152 participants had completed the survey. Additional analyses will be conducted at the termination of the study.

CONCLUSION: The main preliminary findings of this study, based on a small subsample of participants, suggest Knowledge and Confidence in working with adolescents with MHT significantly increased after viewing the infographic. No difference in Willingness to work with adolescents with MHT between pre-test and post-test was detected. Analyses with the full data set will be conducted in order to determine whether these findings remain consistent with a larger sample size.

These findings may indicate a brief informational infographic increases the Confidence and Knowledge of OT providers working with adolescents with MHT. Willingness did not increase from pre- to post-test, which suggests future research might examine what components are critical to increasing Willingness (e.g., supervised practice).

References

American Occupational Therapy Association. (2015). Occupational Therapy’s Role in Mental Health Promotion, Prevention, & Intervention With Children & Youth Childhood Trauma. School Mental Health Toolkit. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/∼/media/Corporate/Files/Practice/Children/Childhood-Trauma-Info-Sheet-2015.pdf

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Marshall, A., Pierce, D. (2005). New Directions in Occupational Therapy: Adolescent Mental Health. KOTA 2005 Conference, Paducah, Kentucky.

Petrenchik, T., & Weiss, D. (2015). Occupational therapy’s role in mental health promotion, prevention, & intervention with children & youth childhood trauma. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/∼/media/Corporate/Files/Practice/Children/Childhood-Trauma-Info-Sheet-2015.pdf