Fostering Change Through Occupation-Based Intervention: An International Joint Group Concept Mapping Study

Abstract

Further consolidation and clarity regarding occupation as a means to foster change in interventions are needed. The study aimed to utilize the knowledge of occupational scholars to systematically determine what is required to use occupation as means to foster change within occupation-based interventions and to generate a conceptual model from those results. Group Concept Mapping involved the following: preparation, generation of ideas, structuring of statements, data analysis, interpretation of maps, and development of conceptual model. Fifty-two international occupational scholars brainstormed 125 ideas. A cluster rating map with nine clusters posed the foundation for a conceptual model with seven themes, namely, artful use of occupation, evidence-based use of occupation, collaboration to promote occupation, coordinating intervention fit, client factors, sociocultural context, and structural influences. The conceptual model, capturing dimensions and dynamics required for using occupation to foster change, may guide future research into occupation-based interventions.