Increasing Meaningful Occupation for Women Who Provide Care for Their Spouse: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Occupational therapy
• Psychology
• Public health

Background:

• Caregiving for a spouse presents significant challenges to a caregiver's health and quality of life.
• Meaningful occupation is crucial for well-being, yet often neglected by caregivers.
• There is a need for interventions supporting caregivers' participation in valued activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the effectiveness of a 4-week intervention designed to increase meaningful occupation among women caring for their spouse.
• To assess the impact of the intervention on caregivers' quality of life and occupational performance.
• To identify qualitative themes related to the caregiving experience and the intervention's influence.

Main Methods:

• Pilot mixed-method study involving 4-week intervention.
• Participants: Women caring for their spouse.
• Measures: World Health Organization Quality of Life: Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF), Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), activity log, and reflective journal.
• Analysis: Content analysis of journal data.

Main Results:

• Preliminary findings indicated a statistically significant increase in the physical health domain of the WHOQOL-BREF (p < .05).
• Satisfaction with meaningful activities demonstrated clinical significance.
• Qualitative analysis revealed themes of caregiving being demanding, journaling facilitating action, and caregivers reorganizing daily activities.

Conclusions:

• The intervention shows a positive trend in improving physical health and satisfaction with meaningful activities for spousal caregivers.
• Writing down experiences and reorganizing activities were key components identified by participants.
• Further research is necessary to confirm these preliminary findings and assess the long-term sustainability of the intervention's benefits.