Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Classification of Illness

Classification of Illness

The meaning of illness is individualized to each person who experiences an alteration in health. In contrast, disease is a medical term indicating a pathological change in the structure and function of the body or mind. It is a condition that has specific symptoms and boundaries.
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe...

Concepts of Health and Illness

Concepts of Health and Illness

Health is a condition of the body, mind, and spirit where an individual remains free from illness. Similarly, wellness is an active state, including living a lifestyle that promotes physical, mental, and emotional health. Physical health is critical for the overall well-being and can be affected by lifestyle, activity level, diet, and behavior. The highest attainable standard of health is a fundamental and universal human right. Consider Lisa, a fifteen-year-old born with congenital...

Factors Affecting Illness

Factors Affecting Illness

When a person's physical, emotional, intellectual, social development or spiritual functioning is compromised, this deviation from a healthy normal state is called illness. Illness creates stress that in turn harms individuals. Irritation, anger, denial, hopelessness, and fear are behavioral and emotional changes an individual experiences in the phases of illness. A variety of factors influence a person's health and well-being.
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness,...

Restorative Care

Restorative Care

Restorative care is provided once a patient has been discharged from a healthcare facility and requires additional services. The additional services include home care, rehabilitation programs, and extended care. Restorative care centers help the patient regain their previous level of functioning or acquire a new level of functioning due to the incapacitating effects of a disease or a disability. It aims to assist patients in enhancing their quality of life by encouraging independence,...

Dimensions of Health and Illness

Dimensions of Health and Illness

The factors influencing the health-illness continuum can be internal or external and may or may not be under conscious control. They are related to the following eight human dimensions, and each dimension is interrelated to one other.

Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention II

Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention II

The person's health status fluctuates continually, varying from being in good health to becoming ill and returning to being healthy. To understand the concept of illness prevention, there are two models. First, the health-illness continuum model is a graphic representation of an individual's wellness. It states that a person is considered healthy in the absence of physical disease and the presence of good emotional health.
The agent-host-environment model states that disease results...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Arenas of Choice During Addiction Treatment: A Qualitative Study of Patient and Staff Experiences.

Nordisk alkohol- & narkotikatidskrift : NAT·2026

Same author

Women's experience of the impact of work environment during menopause - A qualitative interview study.

Scandinavian journal of occupational therapy·2025

Same author

Compassionate mind training for university students - A randomized controlled trial.

Acta psychologica·2024

Same author

When great responsibility comes with limited options: experiences and needs of older community-dwelling adults regarding accessing, understanding, appraising and using health-related information.

BMC geriatrics·2024

Same author

Capability to make well-founded decisions: an interview study of people with experience of sickness absence who have common mental disorders.

BMC public health·2022

Same author

Making Europe health literate: including older adults in sparsely populated Arctic areas.

BMC public health·2022

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 21, 2026

The Immersive Cleveland Clinic Virtual Reality Shopping Platform for the Assessment of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living

The Immersive Cleveland Clinic Virtual Reality Shopping Platform for the Assessment of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living

Published on: July 28, 2022

Reading fiction during sick leave, a multidimensional occupation.

Lena Mårtensson¹, Christina Andersson

¹Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology/Occupational Therapy, Sahlgrenska Academy, Göteborg University , Göteborg , Sweden.

Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy

|October 21, 2014

Summary

Reading fiction during sick leave helps women actively support themselves by providing refuge and connection. This highlights reading as a significant occupation for well-being and recovery.

Keywords:

Bibliotherapy occupational dimensions qualitative research

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Rehabilitation of Stroke Patients With a Digital Occupational Training System

Author Spotlight: Rehabilitation of Stroke Patients With a Digital Occupational Training System

Published on: December 29, 2023

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills

Published on: April 23, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 21, 2026

The Immersive Cleveland Clinic Virtual Reality Shopping Platform for the Assessment of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living

The Immersive Cleveland Clinic Virtual Reality Shopping Platform for the Assessment of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living

Published on: July 28, 2022

Author Spotlight: Rehabilitation of Stroke Patients With a Digital Occupational Training System

Author Spotlight: Rehabilitation of Stroke Patients With a Digital Occupational Training System

Published on: December 29, 2023

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills

Published on: April 23, 2014

Area of Science:

Occupational therapy
Psychology
Health sciences

Background:

Bibliotherapy traditionally attributes therapeutic gains to literature itself.
Viewing fiction reading as an occupation offers alternative explanations for its therapeutic effects.

Purpose of the Study:

To qualitatively explore women's experiences of reading fiction while on sick leave.
To understand the role of fiction reading in recovery and well-being.

Main Methods:

A qualitative research approach was employed.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight women on sick leave who engaged in reading fiction.

Main Results:

An overarching theme identified was 'Supporting one's active self'.
This theme encompassed five categories: prospect of ordinary life, place of refuge, life with others, source of power, and supporting an active life.

Conclusions:

Reading fiction involves intentional, functional, mental, relational, and personal dimensions.
A model of supporting one's active self is proposed, elucidating change mechanisms.
Fiction reading should be recognized as a significant occupation in occupational therapy, impacting life trajectories.