Gone viral: the global spread of an occupational therapy COVID-19 resource

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 has caused global occupational disruption and widespread challenges to health and wellbeing. A consumer guide ‘Normal life has been disrupted: Managing the disruption caused by COVID-19’ was developed to support mental health by assisting people in adapting to the situation and maintaining occupational participation. The digital format allowed fast dissemination and the guide ‘went viral’ as it was shared across personal and professional networks and translated into multiple languages. Readers appreciated the guide’s accessibility, practical and reassuring content, and shared examples of its use. Occupational therapists recognised the potential of their role in supporting clients and the wider community during the pandemic given their expertise in responding to disruptions to everyday life. The creation, translation and sharing of the guide provide a powerful example of international collaboration and of promoting the work of the profession and making an impact by sharing our occupational therapy knowledge and skills.

KEYWORDS:

• Occupational disruption
• mental health
• consumer resource
• practice resource
• collaboration

Acknowledgements

Sincere thanks go to the many occupational therapists and others who volunteered their time to translate, format or disseminate the guide, and the associations which have supported its distribution: ACTOEP, AITO, ANFE,APTO, CAE, COTEC, CTOC, DVE, ISOT, JAOT, KAOT, OTA, SLSOT, SOTA, WFOT.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The tagline of Connections, Occupational Therapy Australia’s quarterly magazine.