Date Presented 04/03/2025
This study examined and found that occupational performance coaching (OPC), a therapist-driven and client-centered OT intervention can be used across diverse cultures including India to improve the occupational performance of clients.
Primary Author and Speaker: Suja Angelin Chandrasekaran
Contributing Authors: Sugi Sowmian, Rajendran K
PURPOSE: Coaching interventions are not widespread in developing countries. There are unidentified barriers to the implementation of interventions involving coaching caregivers. This study examined the cultural perceptions of Occupational Performance Coaching and its effectiveness in improving the occupational performance of Mothers of children with disabilities in India.
DESIGN: Both qualitative (interpretative phenomenological approach) and quantitative (quasi-experimental study design) designs were used. Convenient sampling was used.
METHOD: Face-to-face semi-structured interviews, the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSCS), the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS), and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) were used as outcome measures. Participants included 36 mothers of children with disabilities (3–12 years) assigned to control or experimental groups in an occupational therapy clinic of a tertiary hospital in South India. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis for the interviews. Non-parametric tests including the Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to analyze data of baseline and post-intervention within groups (intervention and control) of all three outcome measures COPM, PSCS, and GAS scores. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the data of baseline and post-intervention between groups of the two outcome measures COPM, and PSCS.
RESULTS: OPC had significant effects on children’s occupational performance (p < 0.001), mothers’ occupational performance (p < 0.001), and self-competence (p = 0.003). There was also a significant difference between the control and intervention groups in occupational performance (p = 0.001) and satisfaction (p = 0.003). Interviews revealed three themes: acceptance, self-learning, and challenges during OPC.
CONCLUSION: OPC was effective in a diverse cultural context gaining knowledge about the influence of extended families and the autonomy of the mothers in the application of OPC.
References
Graham F., Rodger S., & Ziviani J. (2013). Effectiveness of occupational performance coaching in improving children’s and mothers’ performance and mothers’ self-competence. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67(1), 10–18. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2013.004648
Graham F, Rodger S., & Ziviani J. (2014) Mothers’ experiences of engaging in occupational performance coaching. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 77(4): 189–197. https://doi.org/10.4276/030802214X13968769798791
Graham F, Rodger S, Ziviani J, et al. (2015) Strategies identified as effective by mothers during occupational performance coaching. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics 36(3), 247–259. https://doi.org/10.3109/01942638.2015.1101043
Angelin, C. S., Sugi, S., & Rajendran, K. (2021). Occupational performance coaching for mothers of children with disabilities in India. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 88(1), 38–47.
