Citation

Rogers CM, Mallinson T, Peppers D. Am. J. Occup. Ther. 2014; 68(4): 395-404.

Affiliation

Dominique Peppers, DO, is Physiatrist, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, WA. At the time of the study, she was Physiatrist, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, American Occupational Therapy Association)

DOI

10.5014/ajot.2014.011221

PMID

25005502

Abstract

In this study, we conducted a pretest-posttest investigation of a sports-oriented occupational therapy intervention using surfing in an experiential, skills-based program to support veterans with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in their transition to civilian life. The purpose of this feasibility study was to evaluate the intervention for attendance rates and retention in the program provided in 5 sessions over 5 wk. Fourteen veterans from a specialty postdeployment clinic at a Veterans Affairs hospital were enrolled; 11 completed the study, and 10 attended ≥3 sessions. Participants reported clinically meaningful improvement in PTSD symptom severity (PTSD Checklist-Military Version, Wilcoxon signed rank Z = 2.5, p =.01) and in depressive symptoms (Major Depression Inventory, Wilcoxon signed rank Z = 2.05, p =.04). The results of this small, uncontrolled study suggest that a sports-oriented occupational therapy intervention has potential as a feasible adjunct intervention for veterans seeking mental health treatment for symptoms of PTSD.

Language: en