Occupational therapists’ perceptions of gender - A focus group study

Social representations of gender and their influence in Supported Employment: employment specialists' experiences in Sweden

PURPOSE

Gender differences have been found in the outcomes of vocational rehabilitation (VR) and in Supported Employment (SE), therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore employment specialists' (ES) social representations of gender in relation to work and VR and how these social representations influence the ES's work in the VR process according to SE.

METHODS

The qualitative method of focus group discussions was employed. Ten focus groups were held with 39 ESs from four categories of SE organizations in Sweden. Topic analysis was applied to the transcribed material from the focus groups.

RESULTS

Five themes with different social representations about gender and disability in relation to VR and working life formed in the analysis: (1) differences in personal and health factors among VR-participants, (2) gender norms in society influencing VR, (3) energy-intensive environmental issues influencing VR, (4) gender-specific interactions in VR, and (5) gendered paths in the welfare system.

CONCLUSION

Social representations of higher strains on women with disabilities compared to men with disabilities both in private and working life, which reflect the lived experiences of the ESs, is a possible explanation for gender differences in VR and working life for persons with disabilities.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONGender differences in the outcomes of vocational rehabilitation (VR) interventions have been noticed worldwide. In this study, pervasive social representations about gender and disability in relation to VR were found, but also unconsciousness about gender among VR professionals. Therefore, awareness of gender is necessary in VR.Individualized and person-centered approaches to VR like Supported Employment, although considered best practice, might hide structures like gender, which could lead to reproducing discriminating processes and therefore not achieving gender equality in VR. Therefore, knowledge of discrimination is important in VR.Gender-sensitivity in vocational rehabilitation models with a person-centered and individualized approach is needed and there might also be a need to systematically tailor vocational rehabilitation models to reach gender equality in the outcomes of the interventions. Therefore, gender equality indicators are needed for VR models, to evaluate model effectiveness from a gender perspective.

Occupational therapy gender imbalance; revisiting a lingering issue

BACKGROUND

Recently, it has been suggested that gender disparity in Occupational Therapy has to do with segregated gendered job norms that position female dominated professions as a 'step down' for many males. Interestingly, this suggestion was not underpinned by experiences of males in the profession.

AIMS AND METHODS

Thirteen male Occupational Therapists with a variety of backgrounds were invited to this Round Table research, focussing on the broader issue of the existing gender imbalance in Occupational Therapy.

RESULTS

Two themes emerged: 'The core values of the profession', and 'Broadening the scope of the profession'; none of them suggesting that male/female imbalance was necessarily the most pressing issue.

CONCLUSIONS

A gender-unrelated approach to everyday problem-solving was put forward to achieve increased diversity in Occupational Therapists' backgrounds, better reflecting the people they serve. By broadening the scope and the way the profession is presented, and encouraging innovative and more entrepreneurially driven approaches, diversity in the workforce could be further facilitated. These findings are discussed within the context of 'The mutual constitution of cultures and selves' model.

SIGNIFICANCE

Diversity in the Occupational therapy workforce could be further facilitated with a shift in focus away from the male/female perspective to an intersectional approach.

Association of stigmatizing attitudes with people’s opinion of depression as a valid reason for sickness absence: A Swedish vignette study

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common cause of sickness absence (SA) and also highly associated with stigma. Few studies have addressed the role of stigma in relation to SA. OBJECTIVE: To investigate if attitudes to depression were associated with the public’s opinion of depression as a valid reason of SA. METHODS: The study population (n = 2413) originated from a web-based panel of citizens. The survey included a short vignette describing a person with symptoms of depression and the person’s work tasks, followed by a question on recommendation of SA. Negative attitudes were measured by the Depression Stigma Scale. Logistic regressions were used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) for the likelihood of not recommending SA, controlling for individual and work-related co-variates. RESULTS: The crude association between negative attitudes and not recommending SA was OR 2.15 (95% CI, 1.76–2.62). In the fully adjusted model the OR was 1.76 (95% CI, 1.40 –2.21) for not recommending SA. CONCLUSIONS: Participants with negative attitudes to depression were more likely to not consider depression as a valid reason of sickness absence. The study supports theories on layered stigma; attitudes from one arena are related to other arenas. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Expressões da violência de gênero vivenciadas por terapeutas ocupacionais: narrativas e ações de enfrentamento no cotidiano

Resumo A estrutura social patriarcal produz e sustenta violências cotidianas individuais e coletivas. Baseamo-nos na ideia de “corpos/experiências”, como pulsão vital para o existir, compreendendo o corpo-terapia ocupacional, profissão predominantemente feminina, para retratar as violências de gênero. O objetivo foi compreender as percepções de terapeutas ocupacionais, atuantes do campo da saúde, sobre violências de gênero em seus cotidianos, por meio da cartografia como dispositivo metodológico. Foram analisadas 67 respostas de terapeutas ocupacionais dentre 1018 respondentes de questionário remoto produzido pelo coletivo Adelaides em pesquisa sobre experiências de violência de gênero no Brasil vivenciadas por mulheres do campo da saúde coletiva. Com questões narrativas e de múltipla escolha, o questionário foi distribuído em três seções: dados socioeconômicos; atuação profissional e acadêmica; experiências envolvendo machismo e violência, e em ações de enfrentamento. Os dados numéricos foram analisados com estatística simples e os qualitativos baseadas na técnica analítica da tradução das narrativas. Os resultados indicam que 91% das participantes sofreram violências por ser mulher nos espaços cotidianos do domicílio, de estudo, trabalho e/ou ambientes públicos. As formas de enfrentamento utilizadas foram organizadas em quatro ações: formar e pesquisar, politizar, romper e cuidar. Concluímos que o cotidiano se apresenta como um espaço-tempo potencial das expressões, visíveis e invisíveis, da ação humana, que podem se manifestar por ações violentas, assim como por ações de enfrentamento, assumindo aspectos de reprodução ou transformação das relações estabelecidas como as embebidas na cultura da violência a que as mulheres estão submetidas.

Struggling with everyday life after mild stroke with cognitive impairments – The experiences of working age women

Introduction

The aim of this study was to explore how women of working age who have had a mild stroke resulting in cognitive impairment experience and manage their everyday lives.

Method

Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The participants consisted of 10 women of working age who had sustained cognitive impairment after a mild stroke. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

Three main categories appeared: The everyday is affected by the symptoms, Living strategies, and The social environment effects and changes. Participants feel insecure about their abilities and capabilities, experience anxiety and fear in relation to work, and find it hard to live up to demands and expectations. They are required to plan their daily activities in a new way and to prioritise chores that benefit the family, rather than follow their own interests and social activities. In order to cope with everyday life, they need to allocate chores to other family members.

Conclusions

The constant impact of fatigue and cognitive impairments affects everyday life. The women said that they had to learn to continuously manage their limitations through their experience of everyday life, something that can be facilitated with occupational therapy.

Gendering of day center occupations as perceived by people with psychiatric disabilities in Sweden

BACKGROUND

The aim was to explore the experiences and views of people attending day centers for people with psychiatric disabilities concerning the occurrence and nature of gendering of the occupations performed there.

METHODS

Twenty-five day center attendees were interviewed regarding occupational choices at the day centers, whether they would describe day center occupations as gendered, and if so what the consequences were of the gendering of occupations. The transcribed texts were analyzed by thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Three main themes were identified: Thinking and doing gender; Understandings of gendering of day center occupations; and Consequences of gendered occupation. The participants were more open-minded in their reasoning than in what they were doing. They understood gendering to be a result of traditions, role models from childhood, ideas about typically male and female innate capacities, lack of knowledge and low self-confidence. Doing seemed to reproduce gender, but being in a group of the same sex could shape unity and a relaxed atmosphere.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings could be understood as a set of gender frames, which might prevent either of the sexes from developing their full potentials and transgress into e.g. the employment market. Gendering should be highlighted and debated in psychosocial rehabilitation.

Expectations of choice: an exploration of how social context informs gendered occupation

Purpose

Occupational choice describes the process that leads to occupational engagement as a result of intrinsic and extrinsic influences. There has been a considerable amount of research concerning occupational choice, gender and adolescence. However, this has largely focused on the areas of career choice and engagement in risky health behaviours. This paper aims to expand on the literature by providing a broader scope of occupation more aligned with the concept associated with occupational science. Furthering this, the researcher aims to examine the influence of gender as an extrinsic influence on occupational choice. The researcher aims to explore how contextual influences inform gendered occupational choice.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory qualitative approach was used in the current study. Incorporating photographs as a means of elucidating conversation during the interview process, photo-elicitation interview techniques were used as part of the data collection. This involved using a collection of photographs to prompt participants to discuss their interpretations of various occupations. Six adolescent boys and girls aged 11-14 years participated in the study. Participants were recruited from mixed-gendered sports clubs in the West of Ireland. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. An occupational justice perspective was used to interpret the data.

Findings

Responses suggest that gender informs occupational choice through different mechanisms. These included social systems, physical and institutional opportunities as well as expectations participants held of themselves and others they considered to be within their social grouping. Social systems included groups such as friends and family. The ease of access to physical and institutional resources was another factor that informed choice. Participants projected views of expectations they perceived others held for them informed how the participants made their choices. These factors varied across gender. Despite opportunities being available to both sexes, choices were often restricted to particular occupations.

Originality/value

The findings suggest that factors informing the occupational choices of adolescents included a combination of intrinsic factors such as gender and perspectives, as well as external factors including peers, family and opportunities in the local community. Practical applications of this involve acknowledging and further understanding the contextually situated nature of choice to provide more equitable practice. The results of the study may provide more insight into the factors that enable and inhibit occupation. A further understanding of these influences can redirect how we view adolescent occupations in a way that promotes health.

Context and psychosocial intervention in mental health

OBJECTIVE

Occupational therapy (OT) services have been provided for people with mental health conditions since the foundation of the profession, but OT practices are not clearly outlined. This paper presents the standard OT practices performed in the mental health area. The aim of the study is to quantitatively characterize domains of OT intervention in mental health. Specifically, OT intervention in community and inpatient-based mental health settings is described, further delineated by age groups and gender. Eighteen occupational therapists (OTs), who work in the area of mental health, participated in the study. Each OT had at least two years of experience, was between the ages of 26 and 40, and documented 2-4 treatment sessions. In total, 70 treatment sessions were recorded; half were recorded in hospitals and the majority of recorded sessions involved clients diagnosed with schizophrenia (n = 47). Significant differences were found in the intervention provided in the different settings. In addition, the intervention focus for men and women, and for age groups, was different. Despite these differences, many aspects of the intervention were similar in all contexts. The study results support previous notions that context influences intervention.

Occupational Therapy Students' Choice of Client Activities: Does Patients' Gender Matter?

Aim:

In order to achieve a fairer system of health care, it is important that the research and education of health professionals, as well as the organisation of health care, takes into account the gender perspective. The gender order influences women's and men's lifestyles and living conditions and, through this, their health, quality of life and daily activities. The aim of the present study was to explore the perceptions of gender in occupational therapy students in their choice of activities: do students choose activities according to traditional roles?

Method:

The method was a fictional case study containing 16 activities. Each student was given a copy of one of the versions of the case, Eric or Erica. The students were told to underline the three activities regarded as being of most benefit for the actual patient. Eight male and 99 female students participated.

Results:

The most chosen activities were cooking, visits to cafeterias and gardening, and the least chosen were spinning, laundry and computer work. The results showed that the students made choices based on traditional gender roles.

Conclusion:

Extended knowledge is needed about how gender is constructed in occupational therapy, and about whether gendered choices contribute to a prolonged period of treatment or rehabilitation, or the opposite.