Spirituality in occupational therapy practice: A scoping review with narrative synthesis

Spirituality is a fundamental aspect of human existence. Additionally, spirituality is acknowledged within many occupational therapy models of practice. Despite this, other health professions are dominant in published spirituality research and resources. Therefore, to develop our profession-specific perspective, a broad range of occupational therapy spirituality literature was explored to identify how international occupational therapists integrate spirituality into practice.

This study undertook a scoping review using the Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) approach. Six databases were searched for peer-reviewed sources which focused on the experience of occupational therapists, and on concepts relating to spirituality and religion. Fifty-four articles were included in the scoping review. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to present these findings as a narrative synthesis.

The three main findings were as follows: (a) key concepts of spirituality definitions included a person finding 'meaning', 'purpose in life' and 'connection'; (b) a spectrum of approaches were used to address client spirituality; (c) training and spirituality supportive healthcare approaches were facilitators, whereas lack of time and funding were the chief barriers.

Occupational therapy in many countries would benefit from further research, guidelines and policies and training that applies spirituality and its related concepts to occupational therapy practice.