This study aimed to clarify the narratives of young adults with mild intellectual disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders regarding their decision-making processes for employment during their school years. We conducted stepwise and purposeful semi-structured interviews with five participants using staff members of an employment support office as informants. Verbatim data were analyzed using the Trajectory Equifinality Approach (TEA). The participants made employment decisions based on their work experience, which was an obligatory passage point. However, they needed to better link and organize their work experiences, including their feelings, both temporally and causally. Some crucial roles of occupational therapists include supporting self-narratives, guiding clients in clarifying belief/value transformations, and aiding them in making decisions based on work experience.

This scoping review aimed to determine the current state of the relationship between professional identity (PI) and occupational science (OS) for occupational practitioners in Japan. The findings extracted 14 articles from CiNii, Ichushi, and hand-searches of which 7 articles were related to PI and OS or occupation. Learning about occupation established occupational therapy specialties and affected occupational therapy practice. However, in some situations, it was impossible to fully use occupational knowledge, and the subjects sometimes gave up on forming a PI as an OTR involved in occupation. In the future, we need to organize PI of OTR and examine the use of occupational science in occupation-based practice.

The purpose of this study is to clarify the effect of BPSD on FIM improvement in patients with comorbid dementia in convalescent rehabilitation wards and to provide a basis for occupational therapy intervention for BPSD. Multiple regression analysis was performed on 136 patients with cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and 137 patients with motor system disorders, using motor FIM gain as the objective variable and 6 factors(age, time since onset, BMI on admission, total mFIM score, total cFIM score, and total NPI-NH score on admission)as explanatory variables. The analysis indicates that NPI-NH was extracted as an inhibitory factor in improving ADL at CVA and motor system disorders patients, suggesting the need for BPSD intervention in terms of improving ADL in patients with BPSD at admission.

The present study determined the factors that drive post-stroke survivors' housework engagement and performance. Interviews were conducted with seven post-stroke survivors. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify the factors that facilitated the participants' housework performance. Consequently, five themes were identified as latent meanings concerning the participants' housework performance: “I want to do it gracefully,” “I cannot ignore it,” “I project recovery on it,” “I stick to it,” and “I must do it myself.” These themes indicate that the meaning derived by participants from the housework facilitated their performance. Although it is important to identify the antecedents that motivate the participants' engagement in housework, results indicate the possibility of focusing on the effects of housework performance on the performer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the interaction and combination of multiple factors related to toileting independence among patients with acute stroke at hospital discharge. METHODS: A decision tree analysis was conducted using functional assessment during discharge as an explanatory variable and toileting independence as an objective variable. RESULTS: The decision tree analysis revealed a model consisting of two items at discharge: TCT and MMSE. The model validation results showed a sensitivity of 88.2% and a specificity of 77.8%. DISCUSSION: TCT and MMSE may be closely related to the independence of toilet activities in acute stroke patients at the time of discharge from hospital, as is the interaction between these two factors.

This study aimed to clarify ingenuity and challenges in encouraging community-dwelling older adult males to participate in community-based activities (CBA). A Semi-structured interview was conducted with five study participants with roles to promote participation in CBA of older adults; a qualitative analysis was subsequently carried out. As a result of the data analysis, seven categories were created, which were grouped as follows: “careful invitations and calls” and “reviewing activities and creating opportunities.” According to narratives of the study participants, multiple participants, including those with common hobbies created opportunities for older adult males to participate. The recruiters respected the individuality of male older adults and encouraged their participation in CBA. Contents of CBA needed to be revised to make it attractive to older male participants. Furthermore, it should highlight issues such as the provision of public facilities where community-residents could engage in CBA and places for community-residents to interact. Based on the above, occupational therapists are expected to play a variety of roles, including direct involvement with male older adults and indirect involvement with CBA leaders and administrative agency.

The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of a 3D printing technology learning program. The program which includes concrete experience, reflection, conceptualization, active implementation, and debriefing was conducted on 10 rehabilitation professionals. In order to collect quantitative data, the Japanese version of the modified Technology Acceptance Model questionnaire was conducted three times: before the program, after the program, and one month later. Qualitative data were collected through focus group interviews of six participants. The results indicate that the participants improved their perception of ease of use in 3D printing technology and maintained the perception one month after the program. The qualitative analysis revealed an expansion of the participants' problem-solving skills. The study implies that this learning program for 3D printing technology could help rehabilitation professionals reduce psychological concerns about this novel technology and enhance their clinical practices.

[Objective] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of increasing the duration of occupational therapy (OT) for patients with cerebral hemorrhage and impaired consciousness. [Methods] The study design was a non-randomized controlled trial, and the experimental group received 20 minutes more OT than the control group. The subjects were 86 patients with JCS II-digit cerebral hemorrhage (43 patients in each group). The survey items were 17 baseline characteristics that were presumed to be associated with the rate of improvement to JCS I digits. Statistical analysis was performed by log-rank test after propensity score matching. [Results] The cumulative residual rate of impaired consciousness was observed to be lower in the experimental group, but the difference was not significant. [Conclusion] There was no significant difference in the effect of 20 minutes of additional OT on the improvement of disorientation, but this may be due to insufficient sample size.

In cases presenting severe hemiplegia and dysarthria, efforts were made in occupational therapy to improve communication skills to realize the patient's desired lifestyle. First, we introduced communication methods using a personal computer, and later we introduced iPads. Subsequently, the patient and an occupational therapist set goals, such as going out from the hospital and spending time with family. Through an interprofessional approach, hospital discharge was accomplished. Furthermore, the use of the iPad enabled communication with the family, resulting in a reduction in loneliness assessed by the Japanese version of the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale Version 3, an increase in hope assessed by the Japanese version of Herth Hope Index, and changes in facial expressions. These findings suggest that occupational therapy involving sharing cases and goals has potential for inducing changes in psychological aspects for individuals with severe post-stroke disability.

Alien hand syndrome (AHS) includes signs of stranger hand signs, forced grasping, forced use of tools, and antagonistic apraxia, which vary by disease and foci. No clear rehabilitation for AHS has been established. In recent years, the Sense of Agency (SoA) and Sense of Ownership (SoO), which are included in the body consciousness of the self, have been focused on in the pathological interpretation of central nervous system disorders, and a decrease in SoA and SoO has also been reported in AHS. In the present study, we conducted an intervention focusing on body consciousness in a patient with AHS, whose activities of daily living (ADL) and emotions were inhibited by AHS. As a result, the symptoms disappeared, and the level of independence in ADL improved. The results suggest that interventions focusing on body consciousness may be effective for AHS.

We cared for a man in his early 80s who presented with heart failure due to a myocardial infarction. In this case, in addition to using the heart failure handbook, we created an “action plan” often used for patients with respiratory disease. The action plan has the potential to enhance the early detection of symptom exacerbation and improve self-management skills in response to symptoms. We encouraged the patient and his family to collaborate in managing his disease. In the subsequent outpatient occupational therapy, we continuously monitored and evaluated the patient's hobbies of mahjong and ground golf activities and gradually encouraged the resumption of these hobbies while avoiding high cardiac load. As a result, the occupational dysfunction of this case improved 6 months after the onset of heart failure.

An elderly woman with post-pneumonia disuse syndrome and cataracts who tended to lie in bed was offered a knitting activity that was fun for her, encouraged her to think about the past, present, and future, and gave her a sense of accomplishment. As a result, her motivation to work improved, and she voluntarily left her bed and knitted during the daytime. This change was attributed to a positive change in willpower, an increased desire to continue engaging in the activity, and a patterned activity. This case study suggests that the provision of enjoyment-oriented tasks is useful for improving motivation and habituation of leisure activities for a patient who tended to lie in bed due to post-pneumonia disuse syndrome and cataracts.

Occupational therapy using the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) was conducted for psychological symptoms in patients with lower limb amputation due to diabetic gangrene (5 days a week, 40 to 60 minutes/day). As a result, the performance score of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) improved from 4.7 to 9.7 points, and the satisfaction score from 3.3 to 9.7 points. Furthermore, pessimistic remarks were no longer heard, and patients became able to take positive actions towards the problems that were occurring. This report suggests that TTM may be useful in dealing with psychological symptoms in patients with lower limb amputation due to diabetic gangrene.