The Centrality of Occupation during Life Transitions

Abstract

This article seeks to examine the nature and experience of transitions in life. It explores pertinent theoretical underpinning and considers the ways in which people manage and adapt to change. In particular, it attempts to synthesise the ideas from the psychology of transition with those from occupational science. Throughout, the article is informed by the contributions both from experiential workshops over the last 5 years (including one held at the Inaugural United Kingdom Occupational Science Symposium in York in 1999) and from students who have chosen an elective level 3 module entitled ‘Adult Development — Life Transitions and Crisis' in a BSc/BSc(Hons) Occupational Therapy programme. Among the conclusions from those experiences is the acknowledgement of the centrality and personal meaning of occupation at the point of transition.