Leisure in Occupational Therapy

Abstract

Despite leisure's central position within occupational therapy models of practice, theoretical development from within occupational therapy remains limited. Historically occupational therapy has viewed leisure as an occupational performance area, quantifiable and discretionary time, and as activity used to achieve clients' targeted outcomes. Using social sciences literature and Primeau's (1996) ideas about the relationship between work and leisure, an argument is made for further theoretical development of leisure concepts and their application to occupational therapy. A brief review of standardized leisure assessments reveals their emphasis on leisure as time or activity. In contrast, interdisciplinary advances in leisure studies pertinent to occupational therapy focus on understanding leisure as a subjective experience. Acknowledgement of the importance of leisure as a state of mind underscores the importance of creating meaning within occupations. Finally, the stages of the Occupational Performance Process (CAOT, 1997; Fearing, Law & Clark, 1997) provide a framework for demonstrating how leisure concepts and assessments guide occupational therapy practice.

The Therapeutic Use of Videogames within Secure Forensic Settings: A Review of the Literature and Application to Practice

“…The profession has only recently, however, considered adult leisure and play seriously (Suto 1998, Lobo 1999, Farnworth 2000, Hodgson et al 2001. For older adults, playing games is accompanied by a sense of belonging, continuity and mental and physical health (Hoppes et al 2001).…”

“…It has been suggested that, as a result of man' s increasing reliance on technology in the workplace, the focus for personal development and maintenance of self-identity and self-worth has shifted from work to leisure (Suto 1998, Iso-Ahola 1980 cited in Bryce 2001. At the same time, technology has influenced the choice of leisure occupations: the invention of photography and motion pictures, the development of private and public transport from the automobile to the aeroplane, and the advent of the television, the video, the computer, the games console and the Internet (Bryce 2001).…”

“…One aspect of leisure -play -has for a long time been recognised as developmentally important in children: being bounded by rules and conditions, play allows the child to adapt to the external environment, to discover how to use tools to operate on the environment and to practise taking on social roles without exposure to the consequences that might threaten survival (Kielhofner and Miyake 1981). Playing games equips children with the social skills needed to adapt to the requirements of a society (Greenfield 1993).The profession has only recently, however, considered adult leisure and play seriously (Suto 1998, Lobo 1999, Farnworth 2000, Hodgson et al 2001. For older adults, playing games is accompanied by a sense of belonging, continuity and mental and physical health (Hoppes et al 2001).…”

Translation of the Leisure Satisfaction Scale into French: a validation study

“…Occupational therapists play an important role in assisting clients to resume their previous leisure activities, and in enabling them to develop new leisure interests (Jongbloed and Morgan, 1991;Suto, 1998). This process involves considering the person as a whole, identifying personal goals that are significant for the individual, and facilitating the development of adaptive skills to achieve these goals (Davidson, 1991).…”

“…The LSS was chosen for this study because of its quantitative and qualitative aspects and because it is easy to administer. Christiansen (1991) and Suto (1998) both cite the LSS as being a clinically relevant instrument for use by occupa-tional therapists. The LSS also fits into the occupational performance scope of practice (Christiansen, 1991) and is used in many clinical settings.…”