AOTA's+Statement+on+Stress+and+Stress+Disorders

**on Stress and Stress Disorders**
 * AOTA’S Societal Statement**

**Stress is a pervasive societal challenge that affects the social participation of people of varying ages,** **ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS],****2000). It is a significant risk factor in a number of health problems, including mental illness, cognitive** **decline, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and workplace injuries. Individuals with** **disabilities are disproportionately affected, with 49 percent of these people reporting adverse health effects** **from stress, compared with 34 percent of the general population (USDHHS, 2000).** **Individuals, families, organizations, and communities differ significantly in their perceptions of and** **vulnerability to stressful events, as well as in their coping strategies. Organizational stressors, such as** **relocation or restructuring, may result in financial strain and loss of personnel. Community or population** **catastrophes, such as natural disasters or wars, result in stress from overwhelming personal loss, forced** **displacement, and a disruption of massive proportions in familiar daily routines and occupations** **(Wein, 2000).** **The occupational therapy profession promotes the establishment of healthy habit patterns; familiar,** **predictable routines; and increased engagement in meaningful occupations that serve both as** **protective and healing factors in combating the negative effects of stress. Occupational therapy practitioners** **develop evidence-based interventions based on this philosophy, and conduct research to ** **establish their efficacy for coping with stress (Jackson, Carlson, Mandel, Zemke, & Clark, 1998; Nelson,** **1996; Oaten & Chen, 2006; Wein, 2000).**