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Taking control of one's everyday life - a qualitative study of experiences described by participants in an occupational intervention
Halmstad University, School of Health and Welfare. Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0037-2504
Halmstad University, School of Health and Welfare. University of Borås, Borås, Sweden.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5865-2632
University of Borås, Borås, Sweden.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8823-4423
Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0667-7111
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2023 (English)In: BMC Public Health, E-ISSN 1471-2458, Vol. 23, no 1, article id 605Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

BACKGROUND: Sick leave due to stress-related ill-health is increasing and is often caused by occupational imbalance. These types of issues tend to affect both the ability to work and cope with everyday life, as well as the overall experience of health, negatively. There is still little knowledge on how to prepare people and workplaces for the return-to-work process after participation in a work rehabilitation program due to stress and occupational ill-health. Therefore, this study aimed to describe what is needed to achieve a balanced everyday life that includes paid work as experienced by individuals who had participated in a ReDO® intervention due to occupational imbalance and ill-health. METHODS: The concluding notes from 54 informants' medical records were used for qualitative content analysis. The informants had participated in an occupational therapy group intervention to promote occupational health and regain full work capacity. RESULTS: The analysis resulted in one major theme and four categories describing how the informants perceive that they must take control of their everyday life as a whole. By doing so, they need to work with structurization and prioritization, social interaction, boundary setting, and occupational meaningfulness. CONCLUSION: The study indicates a highly relational process, where it is impossible to divide life into private and work, and presupposes balance in everyday life in multiple dimensions. Its contribution includes the formulation of perceived needs in the transition between intervention and return to work and could, through further research, be used to generate a more effective and sustainable return- and rehabilitation models. © 2023. The Author(s).

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
London: BioMed Central (BMC), 2023. Vol. 23, no 1, article id 605
Keywords [en]
Empowerment, Everyday life, Health, Home-related demands, Mental illness, Occupational balance, ReDO®, Stress, Work
National Category
Occupational Therapy
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-51219DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15515-zISI: 000984101900002PubMedID: 36997894Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85151315898OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hh-51219DiVA, id: diva2:1780827
Note

Funding agency:

Centre of Clinical Research at Region Sormland

Halmstad University

Available from: 2023-07-06 Created: 2023-07-06 Last updated: 2025-10-01Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Navigating everyday life to promote occupational health – from an individual, group and organisational perspective
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Navigating everyday life to promote occupational health – from an individual, group and organisational perspective
2025 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

With the upcoming challenges of an aging population, it is crucial that individualsof working age experience good health and can work and contribute to society.Occupational ill health is a widespread issue in Sweden with many negative effectsboth on an individual, group, and societal level. Therefore, it is important to gainmore knowledge on what is causing this ill health and, more so, how occupationalhealth can be promoted.The overall aim of this thesis was to broaden the knowledge regarding what isneeded to promote occupational health in everyday life, including paid work,within the working population. In Study I, the aim was to analyse the relationshipsbetween sociodemographic factors, occupational value, occupational balance, andperceived health in people suffering from occupational ill health to explore themain risk factors for developing occupational ill health. The results showed thathaving a low sense of occupational balance, followed by a low number ofoccupations that had a high level of socio-symbolic values, were stronglyconnected to experiencing occupational ill health. Study II aimed to describe whatis needed to improve/regain a balanced everyday life, including paid work,described by individuals who had/were experiencing occupational ill health. Theresults illustrated a highly relational process, where private life and work aredifficult to separate, presupposing balance in everyday life in multiple dimensions.Therefore, the individuals included in the study had to take control of theireveryday life as a whole. They needed to focus on structuring and prioritisingsocial interactions, boundary settings, and occupational meaningfulness. In StudyIII, the aim was to describe the individuals’ experiences of maintaining orregaining occupational health in everyday life, including paid work, two to fiveyears after participating in Study II. The results showed that “flex-ability” in theworkplace is crucial for regaining or maintaining occupational balance and healthin everyday life. The term flex-ability (flexibility + capability) refers to theindividual’s need to be open to change and adapt to new challenges, both at workand in everyday life, but also to be met with flex-ability from their surroundings.To understand employers' perspectives on this, Study IV aimed to describe how agroup of managers promote a healthy work environment and to what extent theyconsider their employees' everyday lives. The results showed the importance ofviewing health promotion as a shared responsibility for occupational health beyondthe workplace, which included: Handling a multifaceted responsibility, tweakingthe organisational culture, shaping supportive work conditions, and bridgingboundaries between private and working life. The overall results illustrate the needto understand how occupations in everyday life influence not only each other andour lifestyle, but also the overall experience of health. Promotion of health ineveryday life, including work, is a complex effort that involves navigatingmultiple, interwoven processes and roles. Central to this is the concept of perceivedoccupational balance, which this thesis identifies as a key component ofoccupational health. Therefore, it seems beneficial to value the concept ofoccupational health in the broader context of everyday life, as a whole.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Halmstad: Halmstad University Press, 2025. p. 66
Series
Halmstad University Dissertations ; 135
Keywords
everyday life, health, health promotion, occupational balance, work
National Category
Occupational Therapy Public Health, Global Health and Social Medicine Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy Rehabilitation Medicine Other Health Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-57238 (URN)9789189587885 (ISBN)
Public defence
2025-09-25, S1022, Kristian IV väg, Halmstad, 10:34 (Swedish)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2025-08-26 Created: 2025-08-26 Last updated: 2025-10-01Bibliographically approved

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Karlsson, LouiseErlandsson, Lena-KarinCregård, AnnaLydell, Marie

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