A phenomenological study of occupational engagement in recovery from mental illness

aut.researcherSutton, Daniel
dc.contributor.authorSutton, D
dc.contributor.authorHocking, C
dc.contributor.authorSmythe, L
dc.date.accessioned2012-09-06T22:58:13Z
dc.date.available2012-09-06T22:58:13Z
dc.date.copyright2012
dc.date.issued2012
dc.description.abstractThis study aimed to uncover the meaning of occupation for 13 people who self identified as being in recovery from mental illness. Recovery narratives were collected from the participants in a series of open ended conversational interviews that were recorded and transcribed. The interview transcripts were analysed using phenomenological and hermeneutic approaches, with a focus on participants’ descriptions of engagement in everyday occupations. A range of experiences were evident, from complete disengagement to complete absorption in occupations. Participants described significant shifts in their experience of time, space, body and other people while in different modes of occupation and these were captured under the themes of ‘non-doing’, ‘half-doing’, ‘engaged doing’ and ‘absorbed doing’. Each mode had the potential to support recovery by creating opportunities for participants to reconnect with aspects of their being-in-the-world. The findings highlight the dynamics at play in different modes of occupation and suggest that all forms of engagement, including disengagement, can be significant in the recovery process. A greater understanding of the dynamics of occupation for people experiencing mental illness will enable carers and mental health services to more effectively support people in their recovery.
dc.identifier.citationCanadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 79, 142-150.
dc.identifier.doi10.2182/cjot.2012.79.3.3
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10292/4596
dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherSAGE
dc.rightsAuthors retain the right to place his/her pre-publication version of the work on a personal website or institutional repository. This article may not exactly replicate the final version published. It is not the copy of record. The final, definitive version of this paper has been published by SAGE Publications Ltd. All rights reserved. © 2012. (please see Citation and Publisher’s Version). .
dc.rights.accessrightsOpenAccess
dc.subjectMental illness
dc.subjectRecovery
dc.subjectMeaning of occupation
dc.subjectExperience of occupation
dc.titleA phenomenological study of occupational engagement in recovery from mental illness
dc.typeJournal Article
pubs.organisational-data/AUT
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/Health & Environmental Science
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/PBRF Researchers
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/PBRF Researchers/Health & Environmental Sciences PBRF Researchers
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/PBRF Researchers/Health & Environmental Sciences PBRF Researchers/HES HCP Other
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/PBRF Researchers/Health & Environmental Sciences PBRF Researchers/HES R & O Occupational Therapy
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