Viewpoints of working sandwich generation women and occupational therapists on role balance strategies

Abstract

Occupational therapists need to be cognizant of evidence-based role balance advice and strategies that women with multigenerational caring responsibilities can implement independently or with minimal assistance, as role balance may not be the primary goal during many encounters with this population. Hence, this study aimed to identify the viewpoints on the most helpful role balance strategies for working sandwich generation women, both from their own perspectives and from the perspective of occupational therapists. This was achieved through a Q methodology study, where 54 statements were based on findings from interviews, sandwich generation literature and occupational therapy literature. In total, 31 working sandwich generation women and 42 occupational therapists completed the Q sort through either online or paper administration. The data were analysed using factor analysis with varimax rotation and were interpreted through collaboration with experts in the field. The findings revealed similarities between working sandwich generation women and occupational therapists, particularly in terms of advocating strategies related to sleep, rest and seeking practical assistance from support networks. Differences were also present, with working sandwich generation women viewpoints tending to emphasize strategies related to coping with a busy lifestyle attending to multiple responsibilities. In contrast, occupational therapy viewpoints prioritized strategies related to the occupational therapy process, such as goal setting, activity focused interventions, monitoring progress and facilitating sustainable outcomes.

A scoping review of Q-methodology in healthcare research

“…Q-methodological studies in healthcare included a diverse range of stakeholders (e.g., patients, doctors, nurses, informal caregivers, medical students), which could be broadly classified as those receiving or consuming care (consumers) or those delivering or organising formal care (providers). Thirty studies (10.4%) [ 27 , 53 , 59 , 64 , 81 – 106 ] involved both consumer and provider participants. Four of these studies [ 87 , 92 , 105 , 107 ] did not clearly report the breakdown between the types of participants.…”

“…Twenty-eight studies (9.7%) administered the Q-sorting task online. An additional ten studies (3.5%) used multiple delivery methods; five studies [ 81 , 89 , 102 , 115 , 116 ] (1.7%) administered hard copies of the Q-sorting task both face-to-face and via mail, and five other studies [ 32 , 59 , 84 , 106 , 117 ] (1.7%) used both online and face-to-face administration. Forty-five studies (15.6%) did not explicitly state how Q-sorting was administered and four (1.4%) were unclear.…”

“…Some studies [ 98 , 101 , 106 , 109 , 111 , 126 , 127 ] reported multiple study variances (e.g., for different participant groups). In this case, each reported variance was considered separately, and they ranged from 20.0% to 90.8% (M = 53.4%, SD = 11.6).…”

How Do They Manage? Coping Strategies of the Working Sandwich Generation in Flanders

“…Evans et al (2016) developed a 12-part taxonomy which also adds more psychological elements such as personal motivation, values and beliefs which they group under the term 'intra-role strategies' in distinction to the inter-role strategies that correspond quite closely to Neal and Hammer's taxonomy. Evans et al (2017) distinguished four different target positions by which the WSG seeks to ensure physical and mental health: focus on help-seeking behaviour, focus on social connection, focus on personal health and focus on time management.…”

Parent health and wellbeing at home before and during COVID-19

“…Parents describe difficulty finding places to be quiet and alone at home ( Turner et al., 2012 ). Indeed, home is typically a busy environment and the site from which parents navigate employment ( McKie et al., 2002 ), child schedules ( Dowling, 2000 ), household tasks ( Blunt and Dowling, 2006 ), and broader caring responsibilities ( Evans et al., 2017 ). These responsibilities impact time and space for parents’ own needs (ibid) with disproportionate responsibilities often held by women ( Blunt and Dowling, 2006 ).…”