Occupational Therapy Theory and School-Based Filial Therapy: Intervention Rationale and Formulation

Area of Science:

• Child psychology
• Occupational therapy
• Family systems theory

Background:

• Emotional-behavioural problems in children impede school engagement and participation in daily occupations.
• Practice theory is crucial for understanding the impact of clinical issues on occupational engagement.
• Occupational therapy requires theoretical frameworks to guide clinical reasoning in the context of occupation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate School-Based Filial Therapy (SBFT) as a treatment for children's emotional-behavioural problems.
• To apply occupational therapy practice theory and frameworks to intervention development.
• To establish SBFT as a viable occupational therapy intervention within school settings.

Main Methods:

• Integration of Bowen family systems theory.
• Application of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework IV (OTPF-IV).
• Utilisation of the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement (CMOP-E).

Main Results:

• SBFT effectively engages the interplay between the child (person), their occupations, and their environment.
• The therapy utilizes play as a primary therapeutic medium.
• SBFT aligns with established occupational therapy frameworks like OTPF-IV and CMOP-E.

Conclusions:

• School-Based Filial Therapy presents a novel intervention for occupational therapists in pediatric mental health.
• This approach supports children's participation in school occupations through a holistic, occupation-focused lens.
• SBFT offers a structured, theory-driven method to address emotional-behavioural challenges in children within the school environment.