Surveys/Research

The Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists is committed to support occupational therapy research and will promote OSOT member participation in promoting research that support the development of knowledge about occupational therapy practice and/or occupational therapists.

To promote membership awareness of opportunities to participate in research activities relating to occupational therapy, the Society circulates a bi-monthly Supporting Occupational Therapy Research communique by email to all OSOT members (approximately 4,600 Ontario occupational therapists and student occupational therapists) which will include researchers’ project descriptions and any links to online surveys. In addition, the Society will post this information to OSOT's website and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).  

For more details and to send in your research survey for publication, please see our order form.

The following posts have been purchased by the researchers to access OSOT membership. While posting does not imply OSOT partnership or sponsorship, we encourage members to participate!

COVID-19-Related Stress, Moral Injury and Minority Stress in Healthcare Workers and Public Safety Personnel in Canada
Principal Investigator: Dr. Margaret McKinnon, Ph.D. C. Psych, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University

Study Description: With the responsibility for the health and safety of our population, healthcare workers, public safety personnel, and funeral workers have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, facing challenging and stressful situations (e.g., a lack of personal protective equipment and exposure to the virus). Additionally, the stress of working on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic may dynamically interact with chronic experiences of minority stress (i.e., stressors related to the marginalization of one’s identity).

The purpose of this study is to understand healthcare workers’, public safety personnel’s, and funeral workers' experiences of COVID-19-related stress, moral injury, and minority stress. Information from this study will be used to develop novel approaches to mental health assessment, prevention, and treatment.

This study involves the completion of an online questionnaire through a secure website. Completion of the questionnaire is expected to take 50-60 minutes. 

Participate in the Survey

Response Deadline: End of October 2021. 
Improving Advance Care Planning for Frail Elderly Canadians: Exploring Occupational Therapists Experience With Diversity Access
Principal & Co-Investigators: Kevin Reel, MSc, OT Reg. (Ont.) (Co-PI), Dr. Gloria Gutman, PhD (Co-PI), Katrina Jang, BA (co-PI assistant), Elizabeth Pezzutto, BSci (co-PI assistant)

Study Description: As part of a research project being conducted by the University of Toronto Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Department and Simon Fraser Gerontology Research Centre, we are conducting interviews to learn about your thoughts on and experience of initiating/facilitating Advance Care Planning with older adults 55+ particularly LGBT+, Chinese, and/or South Asian older adult clients in your practice.

You can choose to have the interview conducted by telephone or over Zoom. As a thank you for participating you will receive a $25 gift card.

Target audience for participation: OTs whose practice include older adults 55+ particularly those who are Chinese, and/or South Asian, and/or LGBT+.

For more information or to participate please contact: Elizabeth Pezzutto at e.pezzutto@mail.utoronto.ca or call 416-951-7342.

Response Deadline: January 31st, 2022
Promoting engagement in physical activity among young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: Development of a social network-based intervention
Researchers: Sabrina Cavallo, erg. PhD., Assistant professor, École de réadaptation, Université de Montréal, Jennifer Stinson, PhD., Dr. Ciarán Duffy, Sara Ahmed, PhD., Dr. Julie Barsalou, Karine April Toupin, PhD., Claudine Auger, PhD.

Study Description: Researchers are currently looking for young people living with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and/or their parents to participate in the study, Promoting engagement in physical activity among young people with JIA: Development of a social network-based intervention. Researchers would like to get their opinion on JIActiv, a social media-based group intervention aimed at promoting physical activity.

To participate, young people and parents need to meet the following criteria: 
1) Understand and be able to express themselves in English or French. 
2) Have an email address or be willing to create one for the purpose of the study. 
3) Have access to an electronic device giving access to the internet. 

Young people need to be between 13 and 25 years of age and have been diagnosed with JIA by a paediatric rheumatologist. The parents of the young people must have at least one child aged 13 and 25 living with JIA. 

Participation in the study involves two one-hour interviews with the young person or parent as well as filling out a short questionnaire. Participants will be compensated in the form of gift cards. Interviews will be anonymized to maintain participant confidentiality. All research data will be kept on a secured server of the Institut universitaire sur la réadaptation en déficience physique de Montréal. The current study is supported by the Canadian Association of Rheumatology through a CIORA grant.

Response Deadline: December 2021

Please contact Sabrina Cavallo, researcher at the University of Montreal, to participate at 514-343-7217 or by email at sabrina.cavallo@umontreal.ca