Anxiety & Stress in workplace Environment and the role of the Occupational Therapist

                 

 

 

Stein,(2008) asserts that stress is "the arousal of physical and psychological responses in the individual that occur in reaction to daily experiences that make life difficult or create discomfort".

Dirckx,(2001)asserts that anxiety is an "apprehension of danger, and dread accompanied by restlessness, tension, tachycardia and dyspnea unattached to a clearly identifiable stimulus".

Music and the role of Occupational Therapist

 

Promoting and restoring positive health and well-being of an individual (or a group of individuals), through inclusion and the use of purposeful occupation. (New Zealand Association of Occupational Therapists, 2012).
 
It is proposed that an occupational therapist's role when using music as a modality would relate to enhancing participation and engagement in areas of occupation. Music could be one of the many tools or methods that an occupational therapist would utilize to influence participation in occupation.

Music refers to the phenomenon of “organized sound,” often with “some degree of rhythm, melody, or harmony” (Leonard, 1993, p. 79). 

Given this definition, the term music, for the purposes of this blog, will then refer to all of the typical ways that humans engage with music. We can consider that it is possible to influence multiple areas of occupational performance (self-care, work, leisure, and rest), occupational balance, as well as functions and skills that contribute to performance, by using different types of music activities as a tool.

Reference:
Dirckx, J.H. (2001) Steadmans concise Medical Dictionary for the Health Professional.In: Atchison, J. & Dirette, D.(2000). Conditions in occupational therapy.(3rd).Effect on Occupational Performance. USA. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Leonard, H. (1993). Pocket Music Dictionary. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Pub.Corp.

New Zealand Association of Occupational Therapists. (2012). The role of occupational therapists working in mental health. Retrieved from: http://www.nzaot.com/publications/position.statements.

Stein, F. (2008). Stress Management Questionnaire. In Hemphill-Pearson., B. Eds. Assessments in occupational therapy mental health: an integrative approach. SLACK Inc. United States of America.