Awards related fatigue and self-management strategies for rheumatoid arthritis . Laura also works clinically , meeting with university students with mental health and learning needs on a one-to-one basis to help them overcome any barriers to their study .
Laura is studying an MSc in workplace health and wellbeing part-time at the University of Nottingham while she works , and the funding supported attendance at the WFOT Congress 2022 in Paris to present , ‘ A qualitative exploration of how individuals living with and beyond cancer self-manage cancer-related fatigue to engage in valued occupations ’.
She added : ‘ The award was truly enabling , as without it , presenting my research and attending WFOT would probably not have been possible for me . I will always be grateful for not only receiving funding , but also for the experience of applying for funding as an individual . I feel the process has upskilled me as an occupational therapist .’
The Pearson Award supports an activity for an individual professional or student member that forms part of their education , research or continuing professional development . This year the award went to Catherine Miller , who works in the plastic surgery team at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London .
Her role primarily involves the assessment and treatment of children with congenital hand anomalies . She supports patients and their families from birth through to age 18 years , to understand their condition and how it may impact on participation in daily activities in the school , home and community environments .
She told OTnews : ‘ Winning this award meant I could attend a small-scale congress with colleagues from across Europe who work with children and young people with congenital hand anomalies . Within this population of patients , multidisciplinary working is critical to deliver the best evidence-based treatments , so multidisciplinary sharing of skills and knowledge as well as sharing outcomes should be given high importance .
‘ This event was predominantly attended by hand surgeons , so being there enabled me to advocate for the occupational therapy voice and share with the wider team about our role with these patients .’
The Constance Owens Early Researcher Award provides funding from The Constance Owens Trust to enable an individual occupational therapist to begin to participate in research , through a pilot or preliminary research activity relevant to occupational therapy , and which will have a likely impact on outcomes for service users and / or carers , and the effectiveness of the occupational therapy service .
Hilary Lewis , an occupational therapist and cognitive behavioural therapist working at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is ‘ delighted ’ to have won the award this year , which is funding her current research study . This is an exploration of the experiences of people with PPS receiving multidisciplinary inpatient treatment .
She has worked for almost 20 years in liaison psychiatry services , as a manager and clinician , and is particularly interested in treatment for people with persistent physical symptoms ( PPS , also known as medically unexplained symptoms ). This has led to her work at the National Inpatient Centre for Psychological Medicine , an inpatient unit in Leeds for people with severe PPS .
The Institute of Social Psychiatry Award provides support for an individual occupational therapist towards a research or developmental project / activity in a topic relevant to occupational therapy and mental health that demonstrates relevance to social psychiatry . The award can be used to support formal post graduate research activities and education .
Giedre Mohite is currently studying for an MSc in Clinical Mental Health Science at UCL and working on the dissertation – qualitative study , exploring views of trauma services users with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ( CPTSD ) on reintegration interventions .
The funding is supporting their dissertation project , as part of the MSc studies . Giedre graduated with a BSc Occupational Therapy in Lithuania in 2014 before moving to the UK , where they ’ ve been working in the mental health field ever since , mostly in generic roles , although informed by occupational therapy philosophy .
Catherine Miller
Hilary Lewis
Giedre Mohite
November 2022 OTnews 59