The association between volition and participation in adults with acquired disabilities: A scoping review.
Hagit Harel-Katz, Eli Carmeli
PMID 32009860WHAT IT FOUND
Volition, defined as a person's motivation, interests and beliefs about their own abilities, is positively associated with participation in daily life for adults with acquired disabilities.
Higher volition correlates with better engagement in domestic, social, and work activities.
Key findings
01Only two of the eighteen reviewed studies directly examined the association between volition and participation, both finding a positive relationship.
02Interventions addressing volition (using the Model of Human Occupation) improved participation outcomes in people with AIDS, stroke, and mental disorders.
03Chronic diseases such as MS and CFS negatively affect volition and participation, but reduced participation is not always caused by reduced volition.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only two of the 18 included studies directly examined the specific association between volition and participation; the rest inferred it or looked at components. The review did not assess the quality of the included studies. Most outcome measures were self-report, lacking observational data. Search was limited to English-language articles and journal articles only (no books/manuals). Populations with Parkinson's, spinal cord injury, or motor neuron disease were not represented in the included studies. Volition was defined and measured inconsistently across the included studies.
Declared interests
The text does not report specific funding sources or conflicts of interest declarations.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this as strong evidence that volition causes participation. The review is a scoping exercise identifying a gap in the literature; only two studies directly tested the link, and the overall certainty is low due to inconsistent definitions and lack of quality appraisal.