Experts state that occupational therapy is a profession that aims to increase people's quality of life by addressing physical, cognitive, and emotional barriers that prevent their participation in activities, and that person-centered practices are the focus of occupational therapy. Prof. Dr. Sevda Asqarova points out that occupational therapists use various tools and developed criteria such as surveys, assessment scales, and performance tests to evaluate a person's quality of life, adding that the results of occupational therapy intervention can vary from person to person. Describing occupational therapy as an art that enhances human quality of life, Asqarova comments, "It teaches how to enjoy life and touches people's lives."
Prof. Dr. Sevda Asqarova, a faculty member in the Occupational Therapy Department at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Health Sciences, made evaluations regarding the occupational therapy profession and its role in increasing quality of life.
The focus of occupational therapy is person-centered practices aimed at improving quality of life
Prof. Dr. Sevda Asqarova stated that quality of life is the level of life satisfaction individuals perceive according to their physical, mental, social, and emotional states, and that occupational therapy literature has focused on researching factors affecting individuals' social participation and quality of life in recent years, as well as intervention approaches for these areas. Asqarova explained the reason for this as person-centered practices aimed at increasing activity performance, social participation, and quality of life being the focal point of occupational therapy science.
Asqarova stated that 'participation,' one of the factors affecting quality of life, refers to being included in social life, adding, "It means an individual can actively or passively take a role in every area they need according to their personal preference, and demonstrate life performance. Activity-role participation involves the individual engaging in activity-roles such as daily life activities, work, or play that are part of their socio-cultural context and are desired or necessary for the person to be happy. Acquiring a hobby, performing routine personal care, working full-time or part-time, taking care of one's home, and going to school are examples of this form of participation."
It can touch the lives of people of all ages
Prof. Dr. Sevda Asqarova reminded that occupational therapy is a healthcare profession that helps people of all ages participate in activities and tasks important to them, stating, "The purpose of this profession is to improve a person's ability to perform daily activities such as self-care, work, and leisure in a safe, efficient, and satisfying manner. Occupational therapists work with individuals who may have physical, cognitive, emotional, or developmental challenges that prevent them from participating in activities important to them. They use a person-centered approach to evaluate each individual's strengths and challenges and develop individualized treatment plans focused on achieving specific goals. These approaches are designed to help people engage in activities important to them and improve their ability to perform daily tasks."
Occupational therapy teaches strategies and techniques that can be used for the desired quality of life
Asqarova emphasized that occupational therapy can improve overall living standards by addressing physical, cognitive, and emotional barriers that prevent people from participating in activities, stating, "Occupational therapy can have a significant impact on a person's overall well-being and quality of life. When all these are examined, there is a connection between quality of life and occupational therapy. The science of occupational therapy deals with a holistic approach, lifelong development, and the complex relationship between person-environment-activity."
Asgerova continued, stating that there is a need for a clear conceptualization of quality of life that includes occupational therapy values such as person-centeredness and holism to advocate for the profession's role in healthcare services and to encourage the development of appropriate outcome measures:
It helps people with disabilities and chronic issues gain independence
"In the field of occupational therapy, quality of life can be explained as 'determining quality of life by choosing and participating in activities that inspire hope, create motivation, are meaningful to the person, offer satisfaction, form a vision for life, promote health, and enable empowerment.' The quality of life desired to be gained through occupational therapy teaches individuals strategies and techniques they can use while performing these activities. Furthermore, it can help people with disabilities or chronic health problems gain greater independence, which can improve their overall quality of life and living standards."
Occupational therapy also positively affects mental health
Asqarova underlined that occupational therapy can also have a positive effect on a person's mental health, which is an important component of overall living standards, stating, "By encouraging participation in meaningful activities, it can improve a person's mood and reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. It can also help people establish social connections that can further enhance their mental health and well-being. When individuals regain their independence, their self-confidence increases. With this confidence, they regain their inner motivation while performing their daily activities. Factors such as maintaining social life and engaging in enjoyable activities are factors that increase quality of life."
Certain criteria are used to assess quality of life
Prof. Dr. Sevda Asqarova stated that various conditions are examined when evaluating individuals' quality of life, saying, "To assess quality of life, there are various tools and developed criteria used by occupational therapists, such as surveys, assessment scales, and performance tests. These provide information about a person's physical health status, their ability to perform daily living activities and movement capacities, their mental health, their social interactions, and their home or work environment."
Asqarova listed the topics on which information can be obtained through these scales as follows:
- Overall life satisfaction and quality of life
- Physical and psychological health, social relationships, and environment
- The safety and accessibility of the person's home environment
- The person's self-perceived occupational performance and satisfaction with daily activities
- Barriers to participation in daily activities in the home environment
- General health perceptions, physical functioning, role limitations due to physical or emotional problems, social functioning, energy/fatigue, pain assessment, health-related quality of life
- Mobility, self-care, usual activities
- Satisfaction in specific areas of life
"Occupational therapy is an art that enhances human quality of life"
Prof. Dr. Sevda Asqarova stated that after all evaluations are made, goals for increasing quality of life are determined in collaboration with the individual, and a personalized intervention plan is prepared in light of the information, adding, "This plan aims for the individual to be able to perform their daily living activities more independently and to achieve the targeted quality of life."
Asgerova concluded by emphasizing that occupational therapy and living standards are closely linked, and that occupational therapy plays a significant role in improving a person's quality of life, independence, and overall well-being:
"The results of occupational therapy intervention can vary from person to person, but generally, occupational therapy intervention has a positive effect on quality of life. This is because occupational therapy is positive therapy. In fact, from a broad perspective, we can say that occupational therapy is, quite literally, 'an art that enhances human quality of life.' It holds an important place in human life and addresses all kinds of life issues, improving the person's situation no matter what it may be. It teaches how to enjoy life and touches people's lives."