Occupational Therapy in Mental Health
Volume 35, Issue 3, 2019, Pages 300-313

Survivors of Sex Trafficking: Occupation-Based Intervention for Executive Functioning (Article)

Mangum S.W. , Doucet B.M.* , Blanchard M. , Alig K.
  • a Occupational Therapy Department, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
  • b Occupational Therapy Department, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
  • c Occupational Therapy Department, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
  • d Occupational Therapy Department, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States

Abstract

Persons traumatized through sex trafficking can demonstrate executive function (EF) deficits. We explored whether occupation-based (OB) interventions used with females who had been trafficked would improve EF skills. Eight women engaged programing over eight months. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), Executive Function Performance Test (EFPT), and the Occupational Therapy Task Observation Scale (OTTOS) were used to measure occupational performance, EF skills, and task behaviors before and after intervention. Gains seen in occupational performance and task behavior were significant: t (7) = −2.49, p =.04, with large effect (d = 0.88). Findings suggest OB interventions may improve EF skills in sex-trafficked women. © 2019, © 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Author Keywords

Executive function occupational performance Trafficking

Index Keywords

female performance skill clinical article Article sex trafficking executive function Occupational Therapy human adult survivor human experiment
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85068209586&doi=10.1080%2f0164212X.2019.1627270&partnerID=40&md5=9ba253dd49cfb8a9a3a3642771464044
DOI: 10.1080/0164212X.2019.1627270
ISSN: 0164212X
Original Language: English