Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Health Sciences Occupational Therapy Department Students, led by Prof. Dr. Sevda Asqarova, organized the 16th 'Corona Diaries: Occupational Therapy Interventions' program. Expert occupational therapists participated as speakers in the program, which was moderated by Occupational Therapy Student Berkay Karpuz. The program was conducted via Zoom webinar. There was intense interest in the program.
Psychological mood changes and developed activity programs for individuals during the Covid-19 process
Clinical psychologist İpek Çalışkan provided information on psychological mood changes and developed activity programs for individuals during the Covid-19 process. Çalışkan stated, "Epidemics have been recorded in the world since humans existed. The Corona and pandemic process has actually been added to the category of challenging life events described as earthquakes, floods, and tsunamis. And these have psychological effects on adults and children. Unfortunately, these effects are traumatic effects.
Since this process is a long and uncertain one, its traumatic effects clearly emerge as consequences of challenging life events. However, the most commonly observed mental disorder we evaluate is an increase in anxiety levels," she said.
Assessment and intervention methods for schizophrenia from an occupational therapy perspective
Occupational Therapist Melike Şahan delivered her presentation on the assessment and intervention methods for schizophrenia from an occupational therapy perspective. Şahan stated, "Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that distorts and changes an individual's mood, behavior, movements, perception of reality, and thoughts, disrupting their relationships with family and social environment. The onset of schizophrenia is not due to a single cause. It emerges from a combination of multiple factors. Schizophrenia affects the brain's limbic system, frontal cortex, and basal ganglia. A reduction in overall brain volume has been found in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. Research has concluded that a person diagnosed with schizophrenia receives a great deal of information in their brain, but they cannot sort and integrate it."
Effects of snoezelen therapy applications on the visual system in individuals with developmental disorders
Occupational Therapist İremnur Soylu also addressed the effect of snoezelen therapy applications on the visual system in individuals diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder. Soylu stated, "First, we receive information through the visual system that allows us to recognize the world, to adjust the distances and proximities of objects. And to differentiate the visual system, we need to perform a certain cognitive processing developmentally and differentiate stimuli. Therefore, the visual system becomes very important for us. Visual system sensory input is the beginning of all developmental processes, and the impact of vision in the first year on general development is more comprehensive and pronounced than the operational process."
The role of occupational therapists in school management for children with behavioral problems during the pandemic process
Occupational Therapist İsa Kör addressed the role of occupational therapists in school management for children with behavioral problems during the pandemic. Kör stated, "When we look at behavioral problems, we believe that children who exhibit behavioral problems will face greater difficulties in the future. A study conducted in the USA in 2016 showed that approximately 2,260,000 children aged 6-11 years have behavioral problems. This is a very significant rate. Epidemiological studies tell us that these children face behavioral difficulties during pandemic disasters, including hyperactivity, behavioral problems, and general psychological problems. Here, environmental and family factors contribute to the emergence of behavioral problems in children. These appear as risk factors," he said.
Carpal tunnel syndrome during the work-from-home process in the pandemic
Occupational Therapist Neşe Erden, evaluating carpal tunnel syndrome, stated, "Carpal tunnel syndrome is a 'trap neuropathy' caused by the compression of the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel of the wrist. Trap neuropathy is one of the most commonly encountered neuropathies, accounting for almost ninety percent. The carpal tunnel is a canal structure in the wrist through which tendons, nerves, and blood vessels leading to the hand pass. In its epidemiology, it appears more frequently due to occupational risk, commonly in women aged between 36 and 60. The reason for its prevalence in women is the narrower carpal canal compared to men and hormonal reasons. It is especially seen more often in situations where the wrist remains constantly flexed or in individuals working in jobs that put constant strain on the hand and wrist."