Occupational Function and Dysfunction in Three Groups of Adolescents

Abstract

This study examined the characteristics of occupational function and dysfunction in adolescents with a psychophysiological illness and compared these adolescents to a group with psychiatric diagnoses and a group of high school students who were not being treated for medical or emotional problems. Using the model of human occupation as a theoretical framework, data were collected on the status of volition and habituation subsystem components. Analyses of variance revealed few differences among the groups; consequently, a discriminant function analysis was performed to determine whether group differences would be identified when variables were treated as an aggregate. The model that was tested accurately discriminated all normal subjects from the others and accurately classified 7 of the psychiatric subjects and 9 of the psychophysiological subjects. This model included the following variables: locus of control; total rating of competence during a typical day; total rating of importance of activities during a typical day; number of not-valued roles; strong interests in the past ten years; total rating of enjoyment; number of past roles; and time spent in each of work, play, and daily living tasks.