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Hi, I am in my last year completing my OT degree and am contemplating doing my dissertation around OT interventions to support health and wellness in young emerging adults, especially since Covid 19. It is not an area I am familiar with but it does interest me as my own son has suffered with his mental health since the pandemic, and he has received little to no support due to his age. Does anyone work in this field or are able to point me to good research around OT interventions that can help this age group find their purpose , build resilience and manage their depression and anxieties. Or ways to increase social connectedness so their feel less isolated. Thank you.
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https://www.mentalhealthireland.ie/?utm_source=HSE+-+Healthy+Ireland+Import+List&utm_campaign=b97f98f511-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_08_22_01_55_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c76e9408e6-b97f98f511-379600856
Hi! I would recommend looking into social prescribing, which is a referral pathway that involves medical staff referring a patient to a support person who helps them find and access community based supports such as cooking classes, nature walking groups, arts groups, etc. Social prescribing originated in the UK and has spread to nearly 30 countries around the world including some pilot programs in the U.S. (such as ArtPharmacy, Culture Rx, etc.) Although there has not been as much OT involvement as we would hope, it's very closely tied with our scope of practice and may be a great addition to your literature review. There are some studies looking at the effectiveness with youth specifically. Please email me with any questions! ivoryhazelrose@gmail.com
Hi Catherine. It might be worth giving this a read - 'Investing in the Health and Well-Being of Young Adults': https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK284776/
Summary:
"Young adulthood - ages approximately 18 to 26 - is a critical time in life. What happens during these years has profound and long-lasting implications for young adults' future employment and career paths and for their economic security, health, and well-being. Young adults are key contributors to the nation's workforce and military services and, since many are parents, to the healthy development and well-being of the next generation.
In recent decades, the world has changed in ways that place greater demands on young adults and provide less latitude for failure. The disruption and lengthening of established social and economic pathways into adulthood - graduating from high school, entering college or the workforce, taking on civic engagement and national service, leaving home, finding a spouse or partner, and starting a family - have presented more choices and opportunities for some young adults, and more barriers for others. And the transition to adulthood reflects the end of trial periods and the beginning of more consequential actions.
Providing educational, economic, social, and health supports will help young adults assume adult roles, develop marketable skills, and adopt healthy lifelong habits that will benefit them, their children, and the nation. Despite popular attention to some of the special circumstances of young adults, however, they are too rarely treated as a distinct population in policy, program design, and research. Instead, they are often grouped with adolescents or, more often, with all adults."
Hello - My name is Beth and I work for Sensory Integration Educaiton. We are a not for profit organisation and we also run the masters programme in sensory intergation with Sheffield Hallam University. If you wanted to explore sensory impact on mental health or sensory based interventions then please pop me an email.
Thank you for your active participation in the community Catherine! We'll bring your forum to the attention of fellow Members shortly.