Occupation analysis in practice

Written for students training in occupational therapy and for clinicians already in practice, this text shows how to carry out occupation analysis in everyday clinical work. Its central idea is that the occupation itself, rather than isolated activities, should be the unit of analysis, extending earlier approaches that stopped at the level of individual activities. Analysis covers the interests, goals, and abilities of people, as well as the contexts they live in, whether those are individuals, groups, institutions, or whole communities, and the demands an occupation places on them.

The chapters apply this approach to a range of settings, including work with children, health promotion, Indigenous health, medico-legal practice, mental health, and occupational rehabilitation. The book is organized into four sections. The first sets out the theory behind occupation analysis and explains how it fits with established occupational therapy models and the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. The second examines components of occupation that shape practice, namely culture, spirituality, home and community environments, self-care, and leisure. The third applies the analysis to specific specialties, and the fourth explores how it informs professional reasoning and goal setting.

Contributors come from several countries, and the text includes sample occupation analysis forms, worked examples across practice areas, and a glossary of key terms. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health is included in full.