Exploring the ways spirituality is incorporated in occupational therapy practice:  a scoping review

Amanquarnor, Isaac

Exploring the ways spirituality is incorporated in occupational therapy practice: a scoping review

Thesis / Dissertation

2023

Abstract

Background: Occupational therapy acknowledges spirituality as a vital element in healthcare and rehabilitation. The profession is, however, struggling to appropriately and adequately incorporate spirituality into practice. This scoping review aimed to synthesize and summarise the existing literature on how spirituality has been incorporated into occupational therapy practice in the last 14 years (2007-2022). The review further set out to identify and describe the barriers and facilitators to incorporating spirituality into occupational therapy practice. Methods: The methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley, the updated version of this framework by Peters and colleagues and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) were used to guide the conduct and reporting of this scoping review. A search strategy was developed iteratively with a subject librarian to identify literature published from 2007-2022 in the following electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, EBSCOhost (CINAHL, Medline, Academic Search Premier, Health Science: Nursing and Academic Edition, Psych Info). The search results were independently screened by two individuals using the Rayyan web App. Data were extracted using a modified JBI data-charting tool, QDA Miner Lite and a quantitative data capture form created by the researcher. The extracted data were reported descriptively in tables and a summarised narrative account. Results: Of the 378 studies identified in the searches, eight studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the final review. Three subthemes emerged for the ways spirituality is incorporated into occupational therapy - i.e., assessment; interventions: spirituality as a means; and interventions: spirituality as an end goal. For factors acting as barriers and facilitators, the subthemes that emerged were educational factors, service user and therapist factors and organizational or practice domain factors. Conclusion: The incorporation of spirituality into occupational therapy in the last 14 years is centred around spiritual/religious practices. These practices are operationalised either as a means or as an end in therapy.

Keywords

Occupational Therapy

Reference:

Collections

Masters

Full item page