Needs Assessment in Occupational Therapy

Müllersdorf, M. 2001. Needs Assessment in Occupational Therapy. Studies of Persons with Long-Term/Recurrent Pain. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine 1065. 88 pp. Uppsala. ISBN 91-5545086-5. The overall aim of this thesis is to describe (1) needs/problems among persons with selfperceived activity limitations and/or participation restrictions due to long-term/recurrent pain, and (2) treatment interventions in occupational therapy to meet demonstrated needs. A randomly selected sample (n=10,000) from the Swedish general population aged 18-58 years was the foundation of the study population including persons with and without pain. In addition, occupational therapists were included (n=109). Data collection was made by postal questionnaires. The results showed a prevalence of 26 % and an incidence rate of 0.07 for selfperceived activity limitations/participation restrictions due to long-term/recurrent pain. There were more women in the age group 40-58 years with short education among persons with pain. Pain in shoulders/lower back of searing/aching/gnawing character was the most frequently reported. A majority of the respondents reported affective/emotional effects of pain mainly of a depressive character and they had previously been on sick leave due to pain. Women reported higher frequencies of self-perceived activity limitations/participation restrictions due to pain, more difficulties with intermediate ADL, perceived higher job demands and had longer sick leave than men. Men perceived poorer social support than did women. Needs for occupational therapy were reported mainly as limitations in activity performance and temporal imbalance. High health care consumers reported higher frequencies of needs/problems than did low health care consumers. The main goals and interventions suggested by occupational therapists to meet the needs in pain management focused on increased knowledge of handling daily occupations with the purpose to reduce pain, maintain competence/improve performance of home maintenance, reduce the consequences of pain and increase knowledge about how to handle effects of pain.