Making sustainability in occupational therapy visible by relating to the Agenda 2030 goals – A case description of a Swedish university

The Perceived Role of Occupational Therapists in Climate Change

Introduction. In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) predicted that climate change would cause thousands of additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress alone between the years of 2030 and 2050. With such health consequences and environmental changes, climate change is impacting human occupations globally. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the occupational therapists' role in climate change, particularly in the Canadian context. Objectives. Our research aimed to explore what is the perceived role of occupational therapists in climate change and climate action from the perspective of Canadian occupational therapists and international experts. Methods. This qualitative study used interpretive description methodology. We recruited 12 occupational therapists, including 4 research experts in the field. We conducted semi-structured interviews with each participant. Data were analyzed thematically. Results. This study uncovered three themes that focused on the complex interconnections between climate challenges and climate actions that occupational therapists are wrestling with personally, clinically, and professionally. Specifically, this study emphasized the importance of supporting individual occupational therapists with their personal challenges, integrating climate actions into clinical practices, and incorporating climate change and climate justice into occupational therapy curricula and professional advocacy. Conclusions. The environment, including the planet's ecosystem, is a fundamental component in many models of occupational therapy practice. This research provides a rich understanding in the themes of occupational therapists' perceptions of climate change and climate actions, particularly within a Canadian context.

Fostering the discussion of planetary health in occupational therapy and physiotherapy

INTRODUCTION

Occupational therapists and physiotherapists aim to promote health, prevent various diseases and help people in their rehabilitation processes. So far, there is a paucity of understanding of the big picture of how the new paradigm of planetary health (PH) is connected to the education and practice of these professionals.

METHODS

This research aimed to address this gap by investigating and deploying a bibliometric analysis to elucidate the pivotal role of occupational therapists and physiotherapists in addressing PH challenges. The ultimate goal is to construct a comprehensive framework crosschecking the bibliometric analysis and the collection of 10 case studies selected by experts to outline how best practices in occupational therapy and physiotherapy, related to the three pillars of sustainability and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), can contribute to increasing PH.

RESULTS

The bibliometric analysis revealed four major research strands: 1) enhancing patient care and quality of life; 2) integrating sustainability in health care and rehabilitation; 3) professional development and clinical competence; and 4) evidence-based practice and quality improvement. Moreover, further temporal analysis revealed how the topic evolved, from advancing evidence-based practice and clinical effectiveness, exploring the strengthening of health care and person-centred practices, to connecting the topic to aspects also predicted by the SDGs, such as integrating environmental and climate concerns in therapy and addressing psychological and self-care impacts on health. The case studies confirmed this trend, and a framework of PH in occupational therapy and physiotherapy through the lens of the SDGs was developed to support future research and practitioners in advancing this research field.

CONCLUSIONS

Occupational therapists and physiotherapists are essential players in public health and can integrate sustainability at every level of practice, from using resources during therapy sessions to advocating for more sustainable lifestyles.

Climate Change and Occupational Therapy: Meeting the Urgent Need for Adaptation, Mitigation, and Resilience

Climate change may be the most pressing existential threat to human health and wellbeing in the twenty first century. In this paper, the authors provide context and critique on barriers to climate action in the United States and other high-income countries, including the profit-driven approach to health, consumerism, and the climate change countermovement. The reciprocal connections between occupational engagement and climate damage are examined from a lens of collective and irresponsible occupations and subsequent accountability. The authors propose the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals as a basis for recommendations occupational therapy practitioners could implement within the priorities of adaptation, mitigation, and resilience.

Occupational therapy's contributions to combating climate change and lifestyle diseases

BACKGROUND

The interdependence between human occupations, lifestyle diseases and climate change provides an opportunity to address them simultaneously. Occupational therapists' training in lifestyle modification and knowledge about the impact of the physical environment on daily occupations puts them in a unique position to contribute to global efforts of combating climate change and lifestyle diseases through the promotion of sustainable occupations.

AIM

To illustrate how occupational therapists can contribute to global efforts of combating climate change and lifestyle diseases by framing climate change from a personal and public health perspective.

METHOD

In this discussion paper we argue that occupational therapists can use education and lifestyle modification to support individuals in the prevention and management of lifestyle diseases and that they can help design and advocate for environments that promote sustainable occupations.

RESULT

This discussion paper highlights the contributions that occupational therapists can make to how we understand and address climate change and lifestyle diseases.

CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE

We argue that by framing the climate change discourse from a health perspective, occupational therapists can contribute to global efforts of combating climate change and lifestyle diseases by supporting individuals to engage in sustainable occupations and communities to facilitate this engagement.

Occupational Therapy in an Ecological Context: Ethics and Practice

Unsustainable lifestyles contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The growing recognition of this negative impact on the earth's ecosystems and human health and well-being compels occupational therapy practitioners to address environmental sustainability issues. Western contextual factors present obstacles to the adoption of ecologically beneficial practices in occupational therapy. Resolving these ethical challenges through the use of multiple epistemologies may yield novel solutions and usher in the adoption of ecologically sustainable occupational therapy in the United States. In this column, I explore some of the contextual factors that influence occupational therapy theory and practice as they relate to ecological sustainability. I also briefly discuss some non-Western cultural perspectives, challenges to integrating ecological ethics into occupational therapy practice in the United States, and ways individual occupational therapy practitioners and state and national organizations can begin to address this issue.