Abstract
This study describes how an understanding of leisure that encompasses occupational consciousness can help OTs in their work with people with severe mental health disorders in urgent community-based care settings.
Primary Author and Speaker: Adriana Goncalves Queiroz
Occupational experiences influence and are influenced by in an individual and collective matter (Dickie & Cutchin, 2006). These experiences’ power dynamics impact day-to-day life. Being aware of them refers to occupational consciousness (Ramugondo, 2015). This study asks how an understanding of leisure that encompasses occupational consciousness can help occupational therapists in their work with people with severe mental health disorders in urgent community-based care settings. This study is part of a doctoral qualitative, transversal, descriptive, exploratory research conducted with 23 occupational therapists who work in mental health urgent care in community base settings in a capital in the Southeast of Brazil. Participants were invited by email sent to their workplaces. Ethical procedures were followed. A semi-structured interview was utilized. Hermeneutic dialectical analysis was used to categorize the data, which was checked by 2 occupational therapists. Three themes were created: Understanding leisure, Leisure in the daily basis, and Transversal themes. Participants point out: (1) the importance of a network and paradigm of care that empowers people; (2) their perception of leisure can be a barrier or support their clients’ participation in leisure, (3) an understanding of leisure that encompasses autonomy, pleasure, occupational consciousness and social belonging was created. (Queiroz, 2020). Occupational consciousness is an important construct when stating leisure as an occupation that is a cultural dimension and a human necessity, and therefore occupational therapists must be aware of the hegemonic dynamics that influence their client’s everyday life and their own. The outcomes of this research can be utilized to rethink occupational therapy programs and services in mental health, as well as promote discussions around the findings in educational settings considering the power dynamics and diversity in society and therefore in occupational therapy.
Dickie V., Cutchin M. P., & Humphry R. (2006). Occupation as transactional experience: A critique of individualism in occupational science. Journal of Occupational Science, (1), 83–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2006.9686573.
Ramugondo E. L. (2015). Occupational Consciousness. Journal of occupational science, 22(4), 488–501. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2015.1042516
Queiroz, A. G. (2020). Leisure in Occupational Therapy assistance to adults users: perception of occupational therapists from reference centers in mental health in Belo Horizonte / MG.[published doctoral dissertation]. Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil.