Occupational Therapy and Stress

This is the first book aimed at occupational therapists to examine the background and impact of stress on individuals' lives, as well as providing practical interventions to address it. Whether you work with clients coping with chronic illness, the onset of disability or a range of psychosocial challenges, stress is a hidden but often all-pervasive issue in your professional practice. This book therefore provides a comprehensive understanding of what stress means, how it can be understood and the practical tools to address it effectively. It begins by introducing the concept of stress and the neurophysiological mechanisms which underpin it. Then it deals with evaluation and assessment, including a range of clinical assessment tools, and covering topics such as lifestyle factors, cross cultural differences, and the effects of technology. The final part of the book provides strategies for interventions, from mindfulness and other relaxation techniques, to music, horticulture and the arts. There is also a chapter on managing group interventions, as well as addressing burnout among practitioners or students. Emphasizing the key interplay between the individual, environment and occupation, this insightful and practical text will be essential reading for occupational therapy students and practitioners alike.

Franklin Stein is Emeritus Professor of Occupational Therapy from the University of South Dakota, former Founding Editor of Occupational Therapy International and life member of the American Psychological Association. Khader Almhdawi is a Professor of Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation at the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at Jordan University of Science & Technology (JUST). Ryan Thomure is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator in the Department of Occupational Therapy at University of Illinois Chicago. Farrukh A. Chishtie is a Research Assistant in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Climate Expert at the Climate Hub, and Co-Lead of the Climate Migration Research Group at the Centre for Migration Studies, University of British Columbia. George S. Tomlin is Professor Emeritus of Occupational Therapy at the University of Puget Sound, where he taught for 38 years and chaired the program for 14 years. He has authored 30 articles and 7 books/chapters and made 90+ conference presentations internationally. His professional service includes 12 years on the NBCOT Board of Directors. Current projects focus on artificial intelligence in occupational therapy and faculty research resources.

1. What is Stress? 2. Stress, Disease, Resilience: A History of Discoveries 3. Stress Neurophysiology and its Underlying Mechanisms 4.Technology, Stress and Participation: Harnessing Digital Tools with Intentional Boundaries 5. The Stress Management Questionnaire 6. Other Stress Assessment Tools 7. Positive Health Approaches to Stress: Flourishing through Adversity 8. Learning New Strategies in Coping with Stress 9. Beyond Everyday Stress: Stress-Related Disorders through an Occupational Therapy Lens 10. Caring for the Caregiver: Self-Care, Burnout Prevention and Resilience in OT Education and Practice 11. Group Interventions for Stress Management 12. Designing a Group Psychoeducation Model for Stress Management & Authors' Personal Responses to Stress in Their Lives Appendix: Stein's Stress Management Questionnaire