Leisure assessment in occupational therapy: an exploratory study

Occupational therapy asserts that leisure, along with self-care and work, is a primary occupation of individuals and essential to occupational functioning. The purpose of this study was to explore the leisure assessment practices of occupational therapists in a variety of settings. A telephone survey, developed by the researchers, was administered to 105 occupational therapists in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In addition, face to face interviews were conducted with 15 occupational therapists using the telephone survey as a guide. The results indicated that therapists report assessing leisure primarily through informal methods, especially through interview/discussion with their clients. The frequency with which they assessed leisure was significantly correlated with how much they valued leisure in their practice of occupational therapy. Lastly, therapists practicing in psychosocial areas valued leisure significantly more than those practicing in physical disabilities.