The Nordic National Editors’ Board is pleased to notice a growing interest in the journal’s publications. This is reflected by an increased rate of full text downloads during 2016 compared to earlier years. Based on the yearly publishing report by Taylor & Francis, for 2016 the journal had 27% higher articles downloaded compared to 2015. This positive trend tells us that the journal has managed to convey high quality research that is requested around the world. The articles are downloaded globally with the majority of readers in the region of Northern & Central Europe (46%) followed by North America (25%) and Australia (16%). The top countries by downloads are United States closely followed by Sweden and Australia. The Nordic countries Norway, Denmark and Finland are represented among the top 10 countries that download articles from Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy
A total of 51 manuscripts were published during 2016. This means an acceptance rate of 40% of all submitted manuscripts to the journal the last twelve months. The Nordic countries are leading the submission rate but we are happy to see that countries from all over the world are represented and contribute to the content of the journal.
The main reason for submitting papers to the journal, according to an author survey, is that the journal serves the subject area of the authors. Another high ranking reason for submitting to the journal is the journal´s reputation and the rapid online publication. We strive to continue this positive trend for the future.
In 2010 the journal received its first impact factor which was 0.853. The yearly impact factor is representing the quote between the number of published articles and the number of citations during the two years before. It is a sign of being established among researchers in the academic world. In 2015 the factor was 0.957 slightly lower than 2014 when it was 1.090. In the National Editorial Board we take the challenge on to work towards an improvement of our future impact factor.
The topic of client-centredness is of greatest interest among the readers. Hammell´s article “Client-centred occupational therapy: the importance of critical perspectives” is the most read article, and the special issue on “Critical perspectives on Client-centred occupational Therapy” (Vol 22 Issue 4) was the most downloaded special issue. The journal seem to have captured a significant interest among occupational therapists related to client-centred practices, as well as the need to employ critical perspectives towards the profession’s assumptions regarding such practices. Quoting Karen R. W. Hammell: “Critical thinking enables occupational therapists to reflect on their own inequitable access to privileged and power” (p 237). She argues that there is a need to identify ways in which power may be exercised by the profession based on culturally specific and disabling ideologies. We hope that the Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy can contribute to the development of critical thinking in our field.
This issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy offers a broad variety of articles.
First, Nielsen et al., presents a systematic review on the short- and long-term effect of occupation focused and occupation based interventions, targeting performance at home among over 60-year-old adults with functional limitations. Eight high quality papers showed that occupation focused and occupation based interventions may significantly improve performance at home among older adults with physical disability. However, further development and testing of high-intensity OT programs is recommended, especially since more evidence is needed for maintenance of performance after an intervention has ended.
This issue also includes a concept analysis by Lecours et al. They set out to clarify the concept of preventive behavior at work. Although the concept is commonly identified as significant in order to promote health at work, it has not been discussed from an occupational perspective before. Five main attributes were identified, also including the antecedents and the consequences related to the person, the environment or the occupation.
Two qualitative studies explored engagement and occupational well-being among people with mental illness. While one study focuses on an ethnic minority and their participation in occupation-based rehabilitation, the other study focuses on people with severe mental illness and the lack of attention they receive in research and clinical practice as they are considered hard to engage. Moreover, the studies differ as one uses grounded-theory while the other analyzes the data deductively, based on Occupational Well-being framework descriptors. Combined, the studies add valuable contribution towards the discussion of occupational deprivation among people with mental illness.
Further, Larson-Lund et al. investigated if intrapersonal capacities, environmental characteristics and the ability to use everyday technology contribute to the likelihood of return to work in people with acquired brain injury, While they found significant associations in a univariate analysis, no associations remained in the multivariate analyzes.
Rojo-Mota et al. explored the applicability of the Allen Cognitive Level Screen-5 (ACLS-5) to assess a sample of persons undergoing addiction-rehabilitation treatment and highlighted the use of occupation-based instruments to assess the functioning of people with addictions.
Finally, Brown et al explored cross-cultural differences in ‘approaches to study’ among undergraduate OT students in four settings, covering a span of at least half of the globe! The findings are of interest to both academic and practice educators, especially since more emphasis is being put on the possibilities that OT students have in terms of available exchange programs.
Taken together, we are happy to see this variation in topics as well as methodologies, as they exemplify timely and important issues and show the core of occupational therapy with its depth and breadth.
Greta Häggblom-Kronlöf (Finland), Björg Thordardottir (Island), Louise Nygård (Sweden), Tina Helle (Danmark), Unni Sveen (Norway) The Nordic National Editors [email protected]