Experience of spirituality, mental illness and occupation: A life-sustaining phenomenon

Background and Aim:  This article provides an overview of a phenomenological investigation of spirituality with six people who have experienced mental illness. The study aimed to gain a greater understanding of the phenomenon of spirituality and its relationships to occupation and the experience of mental illness.
Methods and Results:  Participants were interviewed and the interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Findings emerged through multiple readings and gradually constructed meanings from the data. Spirituality was found to be: unique to each participant, a journey through life, vitally important to participants, manifested as 'spiritual occupations', the foundation of meaningful doing, important socially as well as individually, and was found to support participants in coping with mental illness. This article focuses on the 'meta', integrative theme of spirituality as life sustaining. It concludes with the notion that spirituality is essential to the participants and is a significant aspect of their occupational behaviour.
Conclusion:  It is recommended that occupational therapists give themselves a 'licence' to discuss spirituality in practice and that they commit to learning more about how spirituality is a part of the lives of their clients.     

Liminality in the occupational identity of mental health peer support workers: A qualitative study

Peer support is increasingly provided as a component of mental health care, where people in recovery from mental health problems use their lived experiences to provide support to those experiencing similar difficulties. In the present study, we explored the evolution of peer support workers’ (PSW) occupational identities. A qualitative study was undertaken alongside a pilot randomized, controlled trial of peer support for service users discharged from a mental hospital in London, UK. Two focus groups were conducted with eight PSW. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 13 service users receiving peer support and on two occasions with a peer support coordinator. The data were analysed using theoretical thematic analysis, focussing on occupational identity formation. We discuss how the occupational identity of PSW evolved through the interplay between their lived experience, their training, and their engagement in the practice environment in such a way as to construct a liminal identity, with positive and negative outcomes. While the difficulties associated with the liminality of PSW could be eased through the formalization and professionalization of the PSW role, there are concerns that this could lead to an undermining of the value of PSW in providing a service by peers for peers that is separate from formal mental health care and relationships. Skilled support is essential in helping PSW negotiate the potential stressors and difficulties of a liminal PSW identity.     

Traumatic dental injuries and their association with malocclusion in the primary dentition of Irish children

Abstract – Aims: This study sought to establish the prevalence of traumatic dental injuries in the primary dentition of Irish children and to investigate the relationship between dental trauma and non‐nutritive sucking habits. Materials and methods: Following ethical approval, a variety of schools and crèches in an urban setting were identified and parents of over 1000 children were contacted. Consent was obtained, and parental questionnaires were completed prior to a clinical examination of the children by one operator in a non‐dental setting. Signs of previous dental trauma were noted, and overbite and overjet were measured. Results: Eight hundred and thirty‐nine children were examined. The prevalence of dental trauma was 25.6%, with boys more frequently affected. The most commonly observed dental injury was fracture of enamel (39.4%), followed by crown discolouration (20.2%). Only 38.8% of the children with a reported history of trauma sought dental care. Non‐nutritive sucking habits were reported in 63.5% of the sample, and these habits, if prolonged, were significantly associated with anterior open bites and increased overjet (P < 0.001). Using regression analysis, it was established that the risk of dental injury is 2.99 times greater if the child has an overjet >6 mm and 2.02 times greater if the child has an anterior open bite. Conclusions: Non‐nutritive sucking habits are associated with the establishment of anterior open bite and increased overjet in the primary dentition. These malocclusions are, in turn, significantly associated with an increased prevalence of dental trauma in the primary dentition.