Melissa L. Zahl

Melissa L. Zahl, RT

Academic Information

Departments Primary - , Adjunct -

Academic Office Information

Melissa.Zahl@hsc.utah.edu

Research Statement

My research focuses on a critical health topic: the effectiveness of interventions/programming in preventing secondary health conditions, facilitating community engagement, and increasing quality of life for the physical medicine and rehabilitation population. I have developed collaborative research in such populations at my previous institutions. Here, I have already established interdisciplinary collaborations in spinal cord injury although I only recently arrived on campus. In particular, I am investigating the influence of adaptive sports and other recreational activities and mobile health interventions on the prevention and non-pharmacological management of secondary health conditions and quality of life.

The second area of focus is the promotion and advocacy of recreational therapy. This is developed through collaborations and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students, investigating curriculum and curricular concerns in recreational therapy, and interprofessional education and collaboration.

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Zahl ML (03/02/2020). The role of recreational therapy and allied therapies in rehabilitation after spinal cord inury. 54, 1-16.
  2. Zahl M L (01/28/2020). 2018 undergraduate therapeutic recreation curriculum survey part A: Accreditation, curriculum, and internship characteristics.
  3. Zahl M L (01/23/2020). 2018 undergraduate therapeutic recreation curriculum survey part B: University, faculty, and student characteristics.
  4. Richardson L (01/2020). The impact of university approved diversity courses on undergraduate students' multicultural awareness. 1.
  5. Wright C (01/2020). Shades of purple recreation.
  6. Zahl M L (07/23/2019). The role of recreational therapy and allied therapies in rehabilitation after spinal cord injury.
  7. Zahl M L (09/2017). ATRA code of ethics: Impressions from the profession. 24, 38-50.
  8. Zahl M L (09/2017). The role of recreational therapy in the treatment of a stroke population. 24, 26-37.
  9. Zahl M L (02/2017). Therapeutic alliance and the relationship with motivation for recreational therapy treatment. Am J Recreat Ther, 16, 26-32.
  10. Zahl M L (10/2016). Interprofessional education and experiences within therapeutic recreation education. Ther Recreation J.

Abstract

  1. Coleman CJ (10/2020). The effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction among individuals with back pain: Implications for recreational therapy. [Abstract]. ATRA.
  2. Westenskow R (10/2020). The use of flow learning to enhance engagement in sensory-based nature experiences for students with neurodevelopmental diagnoses [Abstract]. ATRA.
  3. Zahl M L (07/2018). The experience of community re-entry internveion from the perspective of the patient with a stroke [Abstract]. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.