The Role of Occupational Therapists in the Sexual Health of Individuals with Disabilities

Abstract

Sexuality is considered one of the activities that add meaning to individuals' lives within the context of occupational therapy. It is closely related to the core components of occupational therapy; including occupations, contexts, performance patterns, performance skills, and client features. While awareness of the role of occupational therapy in sexuality is increasing worldwide, studies in this area remain insufficient. Disability is defined as a limitation in a person's ability to perform activities that are socially expected or which they wish to engage in to make their lives meaningful, and sexuality is one of those affected areas. This review examines the relationship between occupational therapy, sexuality, and the experience of disability, aiming to develop suggestions on how sexuality could be addressed in future occupational therapy practice settings. Therefore, it was focused on the roles of occupational therapy concerning physical, psychiatric, developmental, and mental disabilities and their impact on sexuality. It was also emphasized that the role of occupational therapy in sexuality is not limited to disability alone. The review also discussed interventions to enhance cognitive, physical, and overall well-being. It highlighted the need for more high-quality research and the expansion of practice areas in a more comprehensive manner. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review to address the role of disability and sexuality in the field of occupational therapy in Turkey.

Keywords

• Sexuality
• Sexual Health
• Disability
• Occupational Therapy

Engellilerin Cinsel Sağlığında Ergoterapistler Ne Yaparlar?

Abstract

Cinsellik, ergoterapinin temel bileşenleri olan okupasyonlar, bağlamlar, performans kalıpları, performans becerileri ve danışan özellikleri ile yakından ilişkilidir. Dünyada ergoterapinin cinsellikle ilgili rolüne dair farkındalık artmaktadır, ancak yine de bu alandaki çalışmaların yetersiz olduğu görülmektedir. Engellilik, bir bireyin toplumsal olarak beklenen aktiviteleri gerçekleştirme veya hayatını anlamlı kılmak için yapmak istediği aktiviteleri yerine getirme yeteneğindeki bir yetersizlik olarak tanımlanırken, cinsellik de bu etkilenen alanlardan biridir. Bu derleme, ergoterapinin cinsellik ve engellilik deneyimi ile ilişkisini incelemekte ve gelecekte ergoterapi uygulama ortamlarında cinselliğin nasıl ele alınabileceği konusunda öneriler geliştirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Dolayısıyla, ergoterapinin fiziksel, zihinsel, gelişimsel ve ruhsal-duygusal engellilik ile cinsellik üzerindeki rollerine odaklanılmıştır; ancak ergoterapinin cinsellikle ilgili rolünün yalnızca engellilikle sınırlı olmadığı da vurgulanmıştır. Derlemede bilişsel, fiziksel ve iyilik halini artırmaya yönelik müdahalelere de yer verilmiştir. Bu konuda daha fazla nitelikli çalışma yapılması ve uygulama alanlarının daha kapsamlı bir şekilde genişletilmesi gerektiği ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu çalışma, Türkiye’de ergoterapi alanında engellilik ve cinselliğin rolünü ele alan ilk derleme çalışması olma özelliğini taşımaktadır.

Keywords

• Engellilik
• Cinsel Sağlık
• Cinsellik
• Ergoterapi

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