Public health
Public health
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of the wider drivers that determine public health decisions ; those that inevitably filter down to impact on the service , my professional practice , and most importantly the lives and health outcomes of the people I work with .
This is something I have greatly noticed within the prison setting , a highly specialised and challenging forensic environment , in which the negative impacts of the social determinants of health are explicit .
This may be in areas such as unemployment , housing and education , which in turn not only hinder someone ’ s capacity to engage in healthpromoting activity , but may drive them towards the darker side of occupation – that which may pose a risk to a person ’ s health , despite feeling meaningful to their wellbeing ( Twinley 2013 ).
In acknowledging the perhaps more undesirable aspects to occupational engagement , we can begin to support positive change , not only on a micro ( person ) level , but on a macro ( public ) scale .
In this regard , it is important to consider greater integration of public health approaches and frames of reference into occupational therapy training and education , and for organisations to continue to support innovation and career development and progression for occupational therapists into public health .
Bass JD and Baker NA ( 2017 ) Occupational therapy and public health : Advancing research to improve population health and health equity , Occupational Therapy Journal of Research , 37 ( 4 ): 175 – 177 .
Dahlgren G and Whitehead M ( 1991 ) Policies and strategies to promote social equity in health . Stockholm , Sweden : Institute for Futures Studies .
Gewurtz RE , Moll SE , Letts LJ , Larivière N , Levasseur M and Krupa TM ( 2016 ) What you do every day matters : A new direction for health promotion . Canadian Journal of Public Health , 107 ( 2 ): 1 – 4 .
Moll SE , Gewurtz RE and Law MC ( 2013 ) Promoting an occupational perspective in public health . Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy , 80 ( 2 ): 111 – 119 .
Royal College of Occupational Therapists ( 2021 ) RCOT Research and Development Strategy 2019-2024 . Available at bit . ly / 3L7JEmi [ accessed 1 September 2023 ].
Twinley R ( 2013 ). The dark side of occupation : A concept for consideration . Australian Occupational Therapy Journal , 60 : 301 – 303 .
Words JESSICA OGLETHORPE , Occupational Therapist , HMP Brixton Mental Health Team , Psychological Services and Neuro-developmental Pathway , jessica . oglethorpe2 @ nhs . net
September 2023 OTnews 23