Baumgartner, Alexandra and Bautista-Pedlow, Leia and Fuller, Molly and Webster, Holly (2020) Understanding and addressing spirituality in occupational therapy practice. Masters thesis, Stanbridge University.
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Abstract
While spirituality has been recognized across several clinical fields for its ability to improve health and rehabilitation outcomes, it still may be considered an underutilized and overlooked concept in the field of occupational therapy. This is most likely due to the lack of a proper definition of spirituality, along with the deeply individualized nature of the concept. Another explanation is that there is currently a lack of evidence regarding its use and efficacy in occupational practice, leading to uncertainty among practitioners about how to perceive and address it. Therefore, this study aimed to gain an understanding of how spirituality is currently understood and addressed in occupational therapy practice, and to briefly explore the evolution of therapists’ understanding of spirituality. In this descriptive survey design, a comprehensive, semi-structured survey was distributed via the AOTA and OTAC online forums which was completed by 65 licensed occupational therapists who were members of either the national (AOTA) or state (OTAC) occupational therapy organizations. Various themes were generated from the data with results indicating that the understanding of spirituality in occupational therapy practice is diverse and is determined by diverse personal, social, and professional factors. Notably, 13% of respondents claim to always address spirituality with clients, 40% address it frequently, with 37% revealing that they only tend to address spirituality when clients bring up the topic first. Lastly, the frequency and nature of how spirituality is addressed is largely dependent on client factors and practice settings. This study highlights the need for an increased awareness of spirituality in occupational therapy practice and delineates how it can be understood and incorporated into treatment.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | R Medicine > RC Internal medicine |
| Depositing User: | Institutional Administrator |
| Date Deposited: | 13 Jan 2022 02:42 |
| Last Modified: | 02 May 2024 21:41 |
| URI: | http://repository.stanbridge.edu/id/eprint/51 |
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