Karthik Mani, Savitha Sundar DOI:10.4103/ijoth.ijoth_1_19
Background: Workforce data offer critical information to thrust a profession forward. The insights generated through workforce data provide foundations for benchmarking and advocacy initiatives pertaining to a given profession. Periodic salary surveys help professionals monitor trends and gauge the growth of their profession. Objectives: To determine the average compensation of occupational therapy practitioners in India and benchmark the profession's growth against 2015 workforce data. Study Design: The survey research design was used to conduct this study. Methods: The electronic survey used in 2015 salary survey study was modified and sent via e-mail and social media to Indian occupational therapy practitioners identified through convenience and snowball sampling. Data were collected from October 1, 2018, to October 27, 2018. Results: The number of responses received was 191. The average salary range of full-time OT practitioners in India was 35,001–45,000 Indian National Rupee/month. Gender, job title, level of OT education, practice area, years of experience, and geographical region influence the compensation received by OT practitioners in India. The profession has demonstrated a notable growth in multiple fronts. Conclusions: Occupational therapy in India is in growth trajectory. This workforce study points to the continuing demand for occupational therapists in India. Further, in-depth exploration is recommended.
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S Sakthi Srija, S Sugi, D Srinivasan DOI:10.4103/ijoth.ijoth_10_19
Background: In schools, bullying is a regular occurring behavior problem and the most common form of violence. As stated in studies, bullying peaks during middle school years and higher rates of being bullied are reported in children with special educational needs and disabilities. Social story, as a teaching intervention, helps in preparing the children to respond appropriately to a bullying situation and to develop adaptive coping responses. Objectives: The objective of this study is to identify the victims of bullying among childhood psychiatry conditions, to develop coping skills for them, and to determine the effectiveness of social stories. Study Design: A randomized controlled interventional study was chosen for the research. Methods: Children were screened using Illinois Bully Victim Scale, and 22 children, of both genders, aged 8–13 years diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactive disorder, learning disability, and mild intellectual disability were randomly assigned to two study groups. Coping strategies were taught to the children in the experimental group with the help of social stories, for two target behaviors, and role play at end for 30 min, 3 days a week, for 13 sessions, whereas in the control group, children underwent conventional occupational therapy along with coping strategies and role play for 30 min for 13 sessions. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure and the Coping with Bullying Scale for Children were administered before and after intervention. Results: Both experimental (n = 12) and control (n = 10) groups equally improved with their respective intervention. However, children achieved clinically significant scores in their mean values (68.42 ± 61.50,P < 0.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.00–0.12) in the level of performance, suggesting that they used more of adaptive responses in coping with bullying situation. Typically, children in both the groups showed some amount of maladaptive strategies even after their respective interventions (8.03 ± 6.2,P = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.00–0.13), referring that social story was found to have an impact only on adaptive coping responses. This warrants the importance of addressing the awareness of adverse consequences of maladaptive coping through social stories. Conclusion: Social stories were effective in improving coping skills as well as in enabling the strategies application of learned coping skills (performance) during bullying situation.
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