Feature
Delivering online sensory interventions for military veterans
Christie Alkin works with Combat Stress and has been the lead researcher on a project to evaluate the impact of an online sensory group on the mental health of British military veterans .
O ccupational therapists are uniquely equipped with the knowledge of the benefits of sensory informed approaches and interventions , thanks to the early work of Jean Ayres . The affiliation between the military and occupational therapy is longstanding , with the profession becoming recognised for the rehabilitation of wounded and shell-shocked military personnel during World War One .
Despite this long-standing connection between occupational therapy and the armed forces , there is still little specifically known about the use of sensory approaches in treating military trauma or mental health problems .
An integrative review completed by occupational therapists McGreevy and Boland ( 2020 ) detailed some of the common interventions used in occupational therapy for treating trauma , however sensory modulation being delivered online was not documented , nor were any specific interventions for military trauma .
Those who have left the armed forces experience unique barriers to accessing mental health treatment , due to the military culture and stigma attached to seeking help . While most transition well into civilian life , mental health conditions that veterans often present with are depression and anxiety , post-traumatic stress disorder and substance misuse ( Hendrikx et al 2021 ; Stevelink et al 2018 ).
With the number of veterans in the UK increasing , there is a real need to evaluate occupational therapy services for those receiving treatment and thus the opportunity for a specific research project .
Revisiting the research process
I have worked with Combat Stress , the UK ’ s leading charity for veterans ’ mental health
( Combat Stress 2023 ), for six years now and was previously based in the community as an occupational therapist , prior to my current role as Lead Research Occupational Therapist .
The meaningful impact that our team was having using the sensory approaches was clear to us as clinicians and that exploring this would be beneficial for other occupational therapists working with our veterans .
While excited by the prospect , it was an imposing thought to revisit the research process after being predominantly clinically focused since completing my undergraduate degree . However , it was with the help of Dr Alison Lever-Fawcett and Dr Lynne Gabriel , through York St John University , I embarked on one of my biggest growth journeys to date .
On 26 January 2023 , I presented the outcomes from this three-year research project , funded by Lloyd ’ s Patriotic Fund , at an event attended by stakeholders , health care providers and professionals from a variety of disciplines .
The first year
The research project evaluated the impact of an online group sensory modulation intervention on mental health outcomes for British military veterans .
Over the three years , the occupational therapy team at Combat Stress facilitated these groups and data was collected through clinical outcome measures , as well as responses to survey questions from consenting veterans who were accessing the service for mental health treatment .
All of the team were trained in Sensory Intelligence © and participated in regular supervision , both individually and as a group , to have the opportunity to develop skills , improve confidence and reflect on the service provision .
I continued to provide clinical treatment alongside my research role , but did not facilitate the evaluated groups to help manage researcher bias .
The first year of the project coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic , which proved a challenging time to re-design the service to ensure that veterans could continue to access their treatment , and this led to the development of teletherapy options .
It also meant revisiting the initial research proposal , exploring literature around online service provision and beginning to conduct online
24 OTnews April 2023