Leisure and Leisure Education as Resources for Rehabilitation Supports for Chronic Condition Self-Management in Rural and Remote Communities.

The potential of leisure (enjoyable free time pursuits) to be a resource for chronic condition self-management (CCSM) is well-established. Because leisure pursuits are often self-determined, they have the potential to allow people to not only address self-management goals (e.g.

Picturing Recreation: Newcomers' Perspectives on Experiences of Recreation.

The process of resettlement in a new country represents a significant transition in a person's or family's life, during which there are many changes to their daily activities. While involvement in recreational activities may support such transitions, further exploration of leisure experiences, as defined subjectively by newcomers themselves, is needed. Using an exploratory, community-based participatory approach drawing on photovoice methods, focus groups, and individual interviews, this research project explored the meanings of recreation among newcomers in two communities, one rural and one urban, in Eastern Canada.

Recreation and collaboration within the Expanded Chronic Care Model: working towards social transformation.

Assisting people to live well with a chronic physical or mental health condition requires the creation of intersectoral community-based supports for chronic condition self-management. One important but underutilized resource for supporting chronic condition self-management in the community is recreation, which refers to relatively self-determined and enjoyable physical, social or expressive everyday activities. The Expanded Chronic Care Model (ECCM) provides a framework for identifying systems-level strategies to support self-management through increased access to community recreation opportunities.

"Removing the thorns": the role of the arts in recovery for people with mental health challenges.

Background: While the arts have long been associated with mental health, the role of self-directed arts participation in recovery has not been fully explored.

Methods: We explored the question: From the perspectives of people living with mental health challenges, how does participation in and exhibiting or performing one's art impact recovery? Six individual interviews and 19 narratives by artists with mental health challenges associated with an arts exhibit were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.

Results: The data are described by the themes providing structure and continuity, (re)creating our personal stories and building community.

An occupational therapy community development practice process.

Background.: Little research has focused on the application of the Canadian Practice Process Framework (CPPF) to occupational therapists' work in community development (CD).

Purpose.

Deepening Partnerships through Co-Leadership: Integrating First Voice Perspectives into the Recreation for Mental Health (R4MH) Project.

Unlabelled: With a common goal of increasing social inclusion through collaboration between the mental health and recreation sectors, the Recreation for Mental Health Project was a partnership between Dalhousie University, Recreation Nova Scotia, and the local Canadian Mental Health Association branch.

Aims: Central to this project was the meaningful involvement of individuals with First Voice perspectives-in this case, people with lived experience of mental health challenges. This paper describes key strategies used to privilege First Voice perspectives throughout this project.

Peer support for people with chronic conditions in rural areas: a scoping review.

Introduction: Chronic conditions are a growing healthcare concern. People living in rural regions are particularly affected because many barriers exist to accessing services and supports. Peer support for chronic condition self-management, where people living with chronic conditions learn about how to care for themselves and maintain their health from people also living with chronic conditions, is one approach gaining recognition.

The QATSDD critical appraisal tool: comments and critiques.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: The aim of this research note is to reflect on the effectiveness of the QATSDD tool for its intended use in critical appraisals of synthesis work such as integrative reviews.

Methods: A seven-member research team undertook a critical appraisal of qualitative and quantitative studies using the QATSDD.

Results And Conclusion: We believe that the tool can spur useful dialogue among researchers and increase in-depth understanding of reviewed papers, including the strengths and limitations of the literature.

Examining an occupational perspective in a rural Canadian age-friendly consultation process.

Background/aim: The age-friendly community movement is a community-level approach to promoting seniors' health that has yet to be thoroughly examined from an occupational perspective. Through the application of the Canadian Practice Process Framework to an age-friendly consultation process, the authors examined how age-friendly community consultations may provide strategies for occupational therapists to strengthen their work with communities.

Methods: A consultation with a rural Canadian community was guided by the Age-Friendly Rural/Remote Communities Initiative.

Patients as educators: the challenges and benefits of sharing experiences with students.

Context: Despite movement towards active patient involvement in the education of health professionals, explorations of the experiences of patient-educators beyond descriptive research are limited.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the positive and negative factors that contributed to the experiences of patient-educators in a health mentors programme for health professional students at a Canadian university.

Methods:   Semi-structured focus group discussions and individual interviews were used to elicit the experiences of 30 patient-educators with chronic conditions or disabilities, of the 151 involved in the programme.

The Dalhousie Health Mentors Program: introducing students to collaborative patient/client-centered practice.

The Dalhousie Health Mentors Program builds on a long history of interprofessional health education initiatives by introducing students in health and social care professions to chronic conditions and disabilities, patient/client-centredness, interprofessional learning, and team functioning. This large interprofessional education program (16 participating programs, 650 students) connects interprofessional student teams with Health Mentors, who are adult volunteers with chronic conditions, for a learning experience that extends over one academic year. Students explore their mentor's life story and chronic condition journey, the impact the condition has had on her/his life, and her/his experience with health care in general and interprofessional collaboration in particular.

Conceptualizing community development: occupational therapy practice at the intersection of health services and community.

Background: Despite occupational therapy's theoretical commitment to community development (CD) approaches, current practice models focus on individual interventions rather than community issues.

Purpose: This research examined three cases of Canadian occupational therapists working in CD to conceptualize CD from an occupational therapy perspective.

Method: Data collection occurred over 12-14 days at each site and included observations, document reviews, and interviews with 14 colleagues and program participants.

Exploring Canadian occupational therapists' understanding of and experiences in community development.

Background: Occupational therapists are increasingly recognizing the importance of working with communities as a way to enhance health and well-being. Such work can occur through community development, a community-driven process in which communities are supported in identifying and addressing their health priorities.

Purpose: This paper presents the qualitative findings of a study that explored the experiences of occupational therapists in Canada working in community development including how they understand community development and how they designed their role in this field.