Lifestyle balance and occupational balance: two concepts alike?

Summary of the workshop Participants of this workshop will know the state of the art on occupational and lifestyle balance, will be familiar with reliable and valid assessments for occupational/ lifestyle balance and will... [ view full abstract ]

Summary of the workshop
Participants of this workshop will know the state of the art on occupational and lifestyle balance, will be familiar with reliable and valid assessments for occupational/ lifestyle balance and will acknowledge future challenges.

Background
Occupational balance and lifestyle balance have been reported in current occupational science research. Although several researchers (eg Christiansen & Matuska, 2008; Wagman, 2015) have focused on these concepts, many research questions remain unclear.

In our workshop we will discuss the concepts, describe the current literature on occupational balance and lifestyle balance, provide an overview of existing assessment, and describe future challenges in research and practice.

After a short introduction of the theme, participants of the workshop are invited to discuss several questions:
- What does the concept of occupational balance and lifestyle balance actually mean? Are these two different concepts or should we perceive them as synonyms?
- What is the role of occupational therapy in the concept of balance? Why is (or isn’t) the concept of balance a task for occupational therapists?
- What are challenges in occupational therapy research and practice?

After discussion, current literature concerning the theme will be presented. This literature review will be followed by an overview of existing assessments of occupational/ lifestyle balance.

Maximum number of participants:
25 participants.

Brief description of intended participants:
This workshop is intended for occupational therapists from different fields of practice who have some experience with clients.