OTQualitativeOccupational therapy international2019

Experience of Occupations among People Living with a Personality Disorder.

Olivier Potvin, Catherine Vallée, Nadine Larivière

PMID 31049046

WHAT IT FOUND

People living with Cluster B personality disorder described both disapproved and valued occupations as ways to cope, control distress, or gain approval.

Socially valued occupations could also bring stigma, overwork, and exclusion.

Key findings

01Seven participants reported socially disapproved occupations, which they used to cope with distress.

02Five participants described overinvestment in occupations that became socially disapproved, even when the occupation itself was usually accepted.

03Nine participants chose socially valued occupations, but these could still be negatively experienced through stigma or exclusion.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs

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What it does not show

The sample was small and purposive, so findings cannot be generalized. The research team did not request formal diagnoses from the treatment team, and most participants did not specify a clear diagnosis. Limited exposure to participants may have reduced rapport and access to the full context of occupations. The design captured participants' perspectives but did not examine societal forces or resistance dynamics.

The easy way to misread this

Do not read these themes as evidence that a treatment works. The paper reports participants' experiences, not measured outcomes or effects.

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