Experiencing occupations with chronic hand disability: narratives of hand-injured adults

Abstract

Introduction Hand injuries commonly account for a fifth of all emergencies presenting to emergencydepartments of most hospitals in Europe. One-third of these injuries lead to chronic hand disability thatentails economical, psychological, physical and social implications on the wellbeing of hand-injured adultswith longterm consequences. However, knowledge about the impact of chronic hand disability onoccupations in the long term is limited. Methods The purpose of this narrative study was to understand how adults after a hand injury experience theimpact of chronic hand disability on their occupations over time. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. Two narrative interviews were conducted with each participant and analysed usingnarrative and structural analysis. Results All participants experienced the challenge of occupational disruption. They faced occupationallimitations with the consequence of changed occupational patterns, and later strived for normality. In the end, all participants still needed to get accustomed to occupational changes. Conclusion The findings indicate that this process of occupational adaptation continues on for at least one year after the hand injury. They further highlight the importance to support the clients through engagement in occupation during the therapy process.