Date of Award
May 2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Educational Foundations & Research
First Advisor
Joshua Hunter
Abstract
The dominant role psychosocial factors play in physical healing and disability perceptions of individuals with upper extremity (UE) conditions has been documented repeatedly in the literature for over 40 years. This population is at particular risk given the number of occupations requiring the functional use of one or both UEs for successful performance. However, occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) specializing in hand therapy do not appear to have a shared practice or understanding of evaluation and intervention for psychosocial factors as they tend to focus mostly on the physical limitations of occupational performance. Therefore, the purpose of this three-article dissertation project was to identify strengths and barriers to the utilization of a holistic approach in the context of hand therapy while also identifying systematic and practical strategies specific to the integration of psychosocial evaluation and intervention in this specialized context. The first article utilized an autoethnographic methodology to gain a profound understanding of the contextual influences of the hand therapy practice context. The second article is a scoping review that explored the psychosocial constructs of interest that warrant evaluation in individuals with primarily UE conditions. The third article, also a scoping review, explored psychosocial intervention approaches that have been empirically tested in the population. It is clear from this research that intentional and brief, intentional psychosocial evaluation and intervention practices would be beneficial and practical additions to the hand therapy context. Educational opportunities with specific applications of psychosocial evaluation and intervention practices appropriate for hand therapy are recommended for occupational therapy students and currently practicing hand therapy specialists.
Recommended Citation
Iseminger, Karrianna, "Restoring The Occupational Therapy Spirit In Hand Therapy Practice" (2024). Theses and Dissertations. 6365.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/6365