A scoping review exploring occupation-based research on trauma: A colour palette to paint richer horizons

Trauma is a growing topic of interest in occupational therapy. Situating its available occupation-based evidence will allow to use it in practice, research, policy, and education.

To explore occupation-based research on trauma, providing contextual and content information.

A scoping review was conducted, scanning peer-reviewed articles in English, Spanish, and French from Web of Science, Scopus, Psycinfo, SciELO, Dialnet, and two non-indexed occupational therapy journals. A quantitative descriptive analysis of context and a thematic qualitative analysis of content were undertaken.

34 articles were selected. The context analysis is summarised as '27 years generating knowledge in myriad ways with an Anglo-saxon predominance', while the content analysis identified three themes, which were grouped under the overarching theme of 'Occupational-based research on trauma as a colour palette'.

Occupation-based research on trauma is expanding, with significant efforts to inform and ground theoretical understandings of trauma from an occupational perspective.

The insights from this review support the adoption of a critical occupational perspective on trauma in practice and future knowledge development.