Dr. Vinita A Acharya
Associate Professor
Department of Occupational Therapy
CURRENT ACADEMIC ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES
Dr. Vinita Acharya is Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy – Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal.
She is:
· BOT Teaching Faculty
· MOT Teaching Faculty
· PG guide for Mental Health & Psychosocial Rehabilitation elective
· Subject incharge
· OT in Mental Health & Psychosocial Rehabilitation-I
. OT in Mental Health & Psychosocial Rehabilitation-II·
. Clinical In-charge –Mental Health
· Clinical Supervisor for IV BOT, I-MOT and II-MOT students
· Member of Departmental Research Committee
SUBJECTS CURRENTLY TEACHING
| Subject | Semester / Year |
|---|---|
| Activities and Occupations | IV Semester/ II BOT |
| Occupational Therapy in Mental Health | VIII Semester/ IV BOT |
| OT in Mental Health & Psychosocial Rehabilitation -I | III Semester / II MOT |
| OT in Mental Health & Psychosocial Rehabilitation-II | IV Semester / II MOT |
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
| Degree | Specialisation | Institute | Year of passing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctorate | Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal | 2017 | |
| Masters in Occupational Therapy | Neurosciences | Seth G S Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai | 2003 |
| Bachelors in Occupational Therapy | Seth G S Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai | 2000 |
Experience
| Institution / Organisation | Designation | Role | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dept of Occupational Therapy, MCHP, MAHE, Manipal | Associate Professor | Administrative responsibilities, UG & PG teaching, PG Guide | March 2024 |
| Dept of Occupational Therapy, MCHP, MAHE, Manipal | Associate Professor & Head | Administrative responsibilities, UG & PG teaching, PG Guide | February 2019-February 2024 |
| Dept of Occupational Therapy, MCHP, Manipal | Associate Professor | Assistant Academic Co-ordinator II MOT Class Co-ordinator UG & PG teaching PG Guide | Aug 2017-February 2019 |
| Dept of Occupational Therapy, SOAHS, Manipal | Assistant Professor-Selection Grade | Assistant Academic Co-ordinator II MOT Class Co-ordinator UG & PG teaching PG Guide | Sep 2014-Aug 2017 |
| Dept of Occupational Therapy, SOAHS, Manipal Therapy | Assistant Professor-Senior Scale | Assistant MOT Co-ordinator, IV BOT Class Co-ordinator UG & PG teaching PG Guide | Sep 2010-Sep 2014 |
| Dept of Occupational Therapy, SOAHS, Manipal Therapy | Lecturer | UG teaching III BOT Class Co-ordinator Assistant MOT Co-ordinator | June 2007- Sep 2010 |
| Pad Dr DY Patil College of Occupational Therapy & Hospital, Navi Mumbai | Assistant Lecturer | UG teaching Clinical services | April 2004- Feb 2007 |
| All India Institute of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Haji Ali, Mumbai | Occupational Therapist | Clinical services | Oct 2003 -April 2004 |
Managing Time in Dementia
Dr. Sebestina Anita Dsouza Ms. Meena Ramachandran
Role: Co-investigator Publications: None Research period: August 2017 - August 2020 Description: Indo-Swedish collaborative project funded by ICMR, India and Forte, Sweden
‘Comparison of time use patterns between employed women and home makers
2018, Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 50 (3), 71-75 Shalini Quadros Vinita Acharya
AREAS OF INTEREST, EXPERTISE AND RESEARCH
Area of Interest
Child and adolescent mental health, assertiveness training, Role performance and functioning, leisure occupations and time utilization
Area of Expertise
Assertiveness, mental health, occupational functioning and engagement, child and adolescent mental health
Area of Research
Assertiveness, mental health, assessment tool development, qualitative research, occupational functioning
Professional Affiliations & Contributions
- Life member of All India Occupational Therapists Association (AIOTA)
- Co-authored a paper ‘A cross sectional study of employment pattern in patients with severe mental illness’ that won ‘Best Paper in mental health’ at All India Occupational Therapists’ Association conference in January 2014
- Won 1st prize for poster presentation on ‘Task-related circuit training on chronic hemiplegic patients to improve their functional performance’ at International Congress on Neurology and Rehabilitation in April 2010
- Resource person for workshop on ‘Stroke Rehabilitation’ at Kuwait University in March 2017
- Pre-conference judging for scientific papers at All India Occupational Therapists’ Association conference in January 2014 and January 2016
- Chairperson for scientific session at All India Occupational Therapists’ Association conference in April 2015
- Resource person for workshops on qualitative research at Manipal University since November 2014
- Resource person for pre-conference COTE titled ‘Advanced Occupational Therapy in Mental Health: Micro and Macro perspective’ at OTICON-2020 in Mumbai held in January 2020
- Won Best Paper award for paper titled ‘Perceptions and experiences of individuals with mental illness about vocational rehabilitation in India: An exploratory study’ in the Mental Health category at OTICON-2020, national OT conference held in Mumbai from 16-18 January 2020
- Appointed reviewer for national OT journal ‘The Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy’ for the period 2020-22
Preparing for motherhood: a role for occupational therapy
2014-05-11
Parenting as an occupation is significant as it can influence the overall development of a child. Clients with mental illness may often find it challenging to cope with the demands of parenting. Occupational therapy can assist women with mental illness in performing their role as a mother. Preparing for motherhood can ensure that the mother gets the opportunity to nurture her natural maternal instinct and the child can receive good emotional and physical environment which would lay the foundation for its future emotional health. Clients with mental illness and children of parents with mental illness can both benefit through this role of occupational therapy in preparing for motherhood. Occupational therapy with its unique holistic approach can make it possible for women with mental illness to have a good self-concept of themselves as mothers through competency building and skills training. World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) Bulletin, 70, November 2014, 16-17
A cross sectional study of employment pattern in patients with severe mental illness
2014-05-11 Hariprasad G
People with severe mental illness are known to face significant barriers in sustaining employment. Employment plays an important role in the recovery of people with severe mental illness. Thus vocational rehabilitation is a key aspect of rehabilitation of individuals with mental illness. Employment pattern gives vital information about the factors influencing their employment status. This study aimed to understand the employment pattern of people with severe mental illness. A cross sectional study was undertaken involving 152 participants, 66 of whom were diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder (BAD) and 86 were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Employment pattern questionnaire was used for data collection. Overall, current working status among the participants was found to be 42% but a high percentage of unemployment period of 75.92% was noted. Comparatively, it was found that people with BAD had better current employment status (65%) and low median percentage of unemployment period (35%) than schizophrenia (24% and 91%) respectively. Paranoid schizophrenia had better current working status (41%) and median percentage of unemployment (68%) than non- paranoid schizophrenia (11% and 100% respectively). Significantly high proportions of people with severe mental illness are currently unemployed. They also spent long periods of their employable period away from paid employment. Occupational Therapists can play a vital role by focusing on vocational rehabilitation and enabling these individuals to participate in productive occupations. Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 46 (2), 35-40
Psychosocial Occupational Therapy practice in India---- Where is the evidence? A review of IJOT publications’
2013-05-10
The objective of this paper was to review the articles published in Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy (IJOT) to assess the evidence of Psychosocial Occupational Therapy practice in India. Articles published in IJOT over a period of 10 years from April 2002 to April 2012 were reviewed for their content, study design and level of evidence. Only 10 articles related to mental health practice were found to be published in IJOT over a span of 10 years. Out of these, only 4 studies were related to schizophrenia, i.e. representing core mental health area while all others studied constructs like anxiety and stress in normal or other client populations. 4 studies had Level III evidence, 1 study had Level IV evidence while the majority i.e. 5 studies had Level V evidence. There was an evident lack of studies focusing on instrument development, qualitative research design and systematic reviews of best practices in mental health. Psychosocial Occupational Therapy practice in India is poorly represented in the national journal IJOT. More concerted efforts are necessary from therapists practicing in mental health settings to build strong research based evidence in this area. Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 45 (3), 8-12
Problem Identification Grid--- an assessment tool for acute mental health inpatient settings
2012-05-05
Assessment of clients is essential for effective treatment planning and implementation. Acute psychiatric settings in Occupational Therapy pose specific challenges due to their unpredictable nature, acute symptoms of clients and wide variety of client diagnoses and backgrounds. Therapists working in these settings need to be very skilled at effective assessment in short duration as clients’ symptoms and dysfunction keep fluctuating as against a chronic set-up with more stable clients. Common tools, presently in use, focus on specific areas or performance components and are restricted to a particular frame of reference. Problem Identification Grid is recommended for acute psychiatric settings for quick initial assessment of clients. It may be used as a checklist to identify areas of dysfunction and may help to broadly differentiate the higher functioning clients from the lower functioning ones. Due to its nature and design, it gives one glance idea about the client’s functioning and facilitates faster problem identification and goal setting. It covers performance areas like ADL, work and also components like physical abilities, cognitive functioning, communication skills, emotional aspects etc. Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 44 (2), 11-14
Building a case for qualitative research in Indian occupational therapy
2017-05-03 Sumita Rege
Qualitative research methods are widely used by occupational therapists across the globe to answer specific occupational therapy-related research questions. As clinicians, occupational therapists are interested in enabling the occupations of our clientele. We do so primarily by understanding their values, meanings and perspectives about occupations. To gain this insight about their specific life stories/experiences, qualitative methods with their open-ended nature might be a suitable alternative. Qualitative research provides rich data that can do justice to the complex nature of human occupation. However, Indian occupational therapists appear to be reluctant to use qualitative approaches in their research. The authors argue for the need to increase our arsenal of research methods by acquainting ourselves with the qualitative paradigm. Through this paper, we make a case for using qualitative research in our quest to generate new and better understandings about our clients and their occupations. Rege S., Acharya V. (2017) ‘Building a case for qualitative research in Indian occupational therapy’ Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 49 (1), 17-21
Assertiveness in Indian context: Perspectives of women in coastal Karnataka
2017-08-06 Sharma PSVN Nair, S
Assertiveness is considered to be an important communication skill influencing our interpersonal relations. It is known to play a role in stress management, conflict resolution and developing a positive self-concept. However, it is often suggested that Indians may not be as assertive as their Western counterparts. Indian women in particular have an image of being docile and submissive in a patriarchal society bowing down to cultural norms. This study is a qualitative inquiry to explore the views of Indian women about assertiveness. Four focus group discussions were conducted with women from different social strata around Udupi and Mangalore to understand their perspectives on assertiveness. Three key themes emerged from the analysis of the data. Perceptions of others to one being assertive, sense of freedom after having expressed one’s emotions assertively and consequences of being assertive appeared to be major concerns in being assertive. Exploring the role of assertiveness in women empowerment and social development is recommended. Acharya V., Sharma PSVN, Nair, S (2016) ‘Assertiveness in Indian context: Perspectives of women in coastal Karnataka’ Online Journal of Health and Allied Sciences, 15 (2): 7, 1-5
Assertiveness in Indian context: Perspectives of urban adults from Mumbai
2017-05-04 Sharma PSVN Nair, S
Assertiveness is one of the important communication skill influencing our relationships and life role participation. It is known to play a role in stress management, conflict resolution and in maintaining a positive self-concept. Indians are traditionally considered to be not as assertive as their Western counterparts. However, with changing trends in the society and improvement in financial and educational status, it may be expected to change. Qualitative methods were employed to understand the perspectives of urban adults in Mumbai about assertiveness. Four focus group discussions were conducted with men and women from different age groups and social backgrounds to understand their beliefs and experiences related to assertiveness. Three key themes emerged from the analysis of the data. ‘Acceptance by others’, ‘positive emotions as an outcome’ and ‘risk-benefits ratio’ appeared to be major concerns in being assertive. Understanding the views on assertiveness and perceived barriers to being assertive may help develop strategies for effective assertiveness training. It would enable occupational therapists to educate individuals in developing assertiveness which could be an effective step towards mental health promotion. Acharya V., Sharma PSVN, Nair, S (2016) ‘Assertiveness in Indian context: Perspectives of urban adults from Mumbai’ Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 48 (1), 17-20
Chapter title: Practice settings for occupational therapy
2017-30-10 Sumita Rege Sebestina Anita Dsouza
Name of Book: Dsouza, S.A., Galvaan, R., & Ramugondo, E.L. (Eds.) (2017) Concepts in Occupational Therapy-Understanding Southern perspectives. Manipal, India: Manipal University Press Description: This chapter provides an overview of different practice settings for occupational therapists to work in. It also gives an overview of different approaches that therapists can use in their practice.
Chapter title: Group interventions in occupational therapy
2017-30-10 Pavithra Rajagopal Loren Lewis Sebestina Anita Dsouza Sumita Rege
Name of Book: Dsouza, S.A., Galvaan, R., & Ramugondo, E.L. (Eds.) (2017) Concepts in Occupational Therapy-Understanding Southern perspectives. Manipal, India: Manipal University Press Description: This chapter provides an overview of the concept of groups and their presence in everyday life. It also explains the therapeutic aspects of groups and how occupational therapists can use them in interventions.
We are not vocational trainers’: Indian occupational therapists’ experiences of working in mental health settings
World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin,11th July 2022 Shawn Esther Vinita Acharya
Psychosocial Functioning and Occupational Participation among Adolescent Children of Parents with Mental Illness: A Mixed Methods Study
Occupational Therapy in Mental Health,20th August 2022 Sruthi Thommen Vinita Acharya Shripathy M. Bhat
Assistive products to support daily time management of older persons with dementia in India: experiences and views of informal caregivers and occupational therapists
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 8th November 2022 Sebestina Anita Dsouza Meena Ramachandran Kshama Bangera Vinita Acharya
A culturally relevant assessment tool developed to measure assertiveness among Indian adults in the age group of 25-50 years
Copyright: • Granted copyright for Manipal Assertiveness Rating Scale (MARS): A culturally relevant assessment tool developed to measure assertiveness among Indian adults in the age group of 25-50 years in April 2018 (L-74771/2018)
School Based Occupational Therapy Intervention Module for Mental Health Promotion Among Adolescents (L-111618/2022)
3rd February 2022 Ms. Vidhya Mariam Ninan Dr. Vinita Acharya
It is an 8-session module for mental health promotion among adolescents and focusses on relevant areas for intervention including time utilization, self-concept, communication skills among others. It is developed as an occupation based intervention with activities suggested for implementation.
A cross-sectional study of employment pattern in patients with severe mental illness
2013-05-04 Hariprasad G
Research project to study the employment pattern and percentage of unemployment period among individuals with Schizophrenia and Bipolar affective disorder
A Cross sectional study to find the risk factors related to lifestyle diseases in college students
2013-28-01 Ashwini Bindi Emmanuel
Survey research to study the risk factors for lifestyle diseases among college going students around Udupi
To compare the stress levels of bank clerks and their time spent in leisure over a week
2011-28-06 Hariprasad Apeksha Tanvi
Survey research to compare the stress levels and leisure participation among bank employees
Needs assessment for occupational therapy intervention in community dwelling persons with Schizophrenia’
2017-08-04 Deena Dimple Dsouza
Research project to study the levels of functioning and understand the rehabilitation needs of individuals with Schizophrenia
Comparison of time use patterns between employed women and homemakers
2017-08-04 Shalini Quadros
Research project to study the patterns of time use among employed women and housewives
Role participation in individuals diagnosed with Alcohol use disorder: A mixed method study
2016-05-04 Shardul Abhyankar
Research project to understand the life role participation of individuals diagnosed with alcohol use disorders using quantitative and qualitative methods
Instrumental activities of daily living in patients with schizophrenia
2016-05-04 Anshu Kumari
Research project to profile the IADL participation of individuals with Schizophrenia
Time use patterns in individuals with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Affective Disorder: Mixed method study
2016-05-04 Kritika Amin
Research project to study the time use patterns and activity participation among individuals with Schizophrenia and Bipolar affective disorder. Both quantitative and qualitative methods for the study
Internet use and its effects on daily routine in college going students
2018-05-04 Ms. Kejal Jasani
Research study to see the influence of internet use on daily routines of college going students. It was a mixed methods study with a quantitative and qualitative component.
Perspectives on spirituality amongst occupational therapy students
2018-05-04 Ms. Shreya Prabhu
A research study using qualitative methods to explore the perspectives of Indian occupational therapy students regarding spirituality
Parenting experiences of individuals with serious mental illness: An exploratory study
8th April 2019 Aishwarya Thakurdesai (II-MOT)
Perceptions and experiences about money management in individuals with serious mental illness: An exploratory study
8th April 2019 Manasi Rao (II-MOT)
Understanding practices, perceptions and experiences of food and food related occupations among clients with schizophrenia
8th April 2019 Devalika Bhattacharya(II-MOT)
The relationship between social participation and demographic variables in individuals with schizophrenia
8th May 2020 Ashley Babu (II-MOT)
Relationship of assertiveness with gender and age among Indian adults in the age group of 25–50 years
8th May 2020 Pranjali Mhatre (II-MOT)
Psychosocial functioning and occupational participation among adolescent children of parents with mental illness: A mixed methods study
8th May 2020 Sruthi Thommen (II-MOT)
Effectiveness of creative occupations on psychosocial functioning of individuals diagnosed with mental illness: A systematic review
8th May 2021 Sanjana Tipnis (II-MOT)
Relationship between self-esteem, quality of life and body image in individuals with schizophrenia
8th May 2021 Nikitha (II-MOT)
Practice experiences of psychosocial occupational therapists in India – A qualitative study
8th May 2021 Shawn Esther Salins (II-MOT
Development and validation of a school - based occupational therapy intervention for mental health promotion among adolescents
8th May 2021 Vidhya Mariam Ninan (II-MOT)
Association between disability and physical activity levels in individuals with serious mental illness
8th May 2021 Rahul Shinde (II-MOT)
10 Mental health lessons from cricket
24th January 2021
This article used concepts from cricket to explain strategies for coping and developing mental health in simple terms. Published in Udayavani.
Mental health in COVID times
10th October 2021
This article explained the influence of living during the COVID pandemic on mental health of individuals in different age groups and strategies to cope with the issues. Published in Udayavani