Despite leisure's central position within occupational therapy models of practice, theoretical development from within occupational therapy remains limited. Historically occupational therapy has viewed leisure as an occupational performance area, quantifiable and discretionary time, and as activity used to achieve clients' targeted outcomes. Using social sciences literature and Primeau's (1996) ideas about the relationship between work and leisure, an argument is made for further theoretical development of leisure concepts and their application to occupational therapy.
A brief review of standardized leisure assessments reveals their emphasis on leisure as time or activity. In contrast, interdisciplinary advances in leisure studies pertinent to occupational therapy focus on understanding leisure as a subjective experience. Acknowledgement of the importance of leisure as a state of mind underscores the importance of creating meaning within occupations. Finally, the stages of the Occupational Performance Process (CAOT, 1997; Fearing, Law & Clark, 1997) provide a framework for demonstrating how leisure concepts and assessments guide occupational therapy practice.
BundyA.C. (1993). Assessment of play and leisure: Delineation of the problem. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 47, 217–222.
4.
CaldwellL.L.SmithE.A. (1988). Leisure: An overlooked component of health promotion. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 79, S44–S48.
5.
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (1991). Occupational therapy guidelines for client-centred practice. Toronto, ON: CAOT Publications ACE.
6.
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (1996a). Profile of occupational therapy practice in Canada. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63, 79–95.
7.
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (1996b). Practice Paper: Occupational therapy and children's play. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63, centrefold.
8.
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (1997). Enabling occupation: An occupational therapy perspective. Ottawa: CAOT Publications ACE.
9.
ChambersD.A. (1986). The constraints of work and domestic schedules on women's leisure. Leisure Studies, 5, 309–325.
10.
ChristiansenC. (1991). Occupational performance assessment. In ChristiansenC.BaumC. (Eds.), Occupational therapy: Overcoming human performance deficits. (pp. 375–424). Thorofare, NJ: Slack.
11.
ColemanD. (1993). Leisure based social support, leisure dispositions and health. Journal of Leisure Research, 25, 350–361.
12.
CsikszentmihalyiM. (1988). The flow experience and its significance for human psychology. In CsikszentmihalyiM.CsikszentmihalyiI. S. (Eds.), Optimal experience: Psychological studies of flow in consciousness (pp. 15–35).
13.
CynkinS.RobinsonA.M. (1990). Occupational therapy and activities health: Toward health through activities. Boston: Little, Brown.
14.
DentonP. (1986). Psychiatric occupational therapy: A workbook of practical skills. Boston: Little, Brown.
15.
Department of National Health and Welfare & Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (1983). Guidelines for the client-centred practice of occupational therapy (H39-33/1983E). Ottawa: Department of National Health and Welfare.
16.
Department of National Health and Welfare & Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (1986). Intervention guidelines for the client-centred practice of occupational therapy. (H39-100/1986E). Ottawa, ON: Department of National Health and Welfare.
17.
EllisG.D.WittP.A. (1986). The Leisure Diagnostic Battery: Past, present and future. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 20, 31–47.
18.
EppJ. (1986). Achieving health for all: A framework for health promotion. Ottawa: Minister of Supplies and Services Canada.
19.
FearingG.LawM.ClarkJ. (1997). An occupational performance process model: Fostering client and therapist alliances. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 64, 7–15.
20.
FreysingerV. (1995). The dialectics of leisure and development for women and men in mid-life: An interpretive study. Journal of Leisure Research, 27, 61–84.
21.
GregoryM.D. (1983). Occupational behavior and life satisfaction among retirees. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 37, 548–553.
22.
GunterB.G. (1987). The leisure experience: Selected properties. Journal of Leisure Research, 19, 115–130.
23.
HamiltonB.B.GrangerC.V.SherwinF.S.ZieleznyM.TashmanJ.S. (1987). A uniform national data system for medical rehabilitation. In FuhrerM. J. (Ed.), Rehabilitation outcomes: Analysis and measurement. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
24.
HendersonK.A.AllenK.R. (1991). The ethic of care: Leisure possibilities and constraints for women. Society and Leisure, 14(1): 97–113.
25.
HendersonK.A.BediniL.A.HechtL.SchulerR. (1995). Women with physical disabilities and the negotiation of leisure constraints. Leisure Sciences, 14, 17–31.
26.
HendersonK.A.RannellsJ.S. (1988). Farm women and the meaning of work and leisure: An oral history perspective. Leisure Sciences, 10, 41–50.
InghamR. (1986). Psychological contributions to the study of leisure - Part one. Leisure Studies, 5, 255–279.
29.
Iso-AholaS.E. (1980). The social psychology of leisure and recreation. Dubuque, IA: William C. Brown.
30.
Iso-AholaS.E. (1984). Social psychological foundations of leisure and resultant implications for leisure counseling. In DowdE. T. (Ed.), Leisure counseling: Concepts and applications. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
31.
JohnsonC.R. (1988). Aquatic therapy for an ALS patient. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 42, 115–120.
32.
JongbloedL.MorganD. (1991). An investigation of involvement in leisure activities after a stroke. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 45, 420–427.
33.
KatzN. (1988). Interest checklist: A factor analytical study. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 8(1): 45–53.
34.
KellyJ.R. (1992). Counterpoints in the sociology of leisure. Leisure Sciences, 14, 247–253.
35.
KielhofnerG.HenryA.WalensD. (1989). A user's guide to the Occupational Performance History Interview. Rockville, MD: American Occupational Therapy Association.
36.
KleiberD.LarsonR.CsikszentmihalyiM. (1986). The experience of leisure in adolescence. Journal of Leisure Research, 18, 169–176.
37.
KloseckM.CrillyR.G.EllisG.D.LammersE. (1996). Leisure Competence Measure: Development and reliability testing of a scale to measure functional outcomes in therapeutic recreation. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 30(1): 13–26.
38.
KreftingL.KreftingD. (1991). Leisure activities after a stroke: An ethnographic approach. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 45, 429–436.
39.
LawM.BaptisteS.Carswell-OpzoomerA.McCollM.PolatajkoH.PollockN. (1994). Canadian Occupational Performance Measure manual. (2nd ed.). Toronto, ON: CAOT Publications ACE.
40.
LawM.CooperB.A.StrongS.StewartD.RigbyP.LettsL. (1996). The person-environment-occupation model: A transactive approach to occupational performance. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63, 9–23.
41.
LeeY.DattiloJ.HowardD. (1994). The complex and dynamic nature of leisure experience. Journal of Leisure Research, 26, 195–211.
42.
MannW.C.TaltyP. (1990). Leisure Activity Profile measuring use of leisure time by persons with alcoholism. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 10(4): 31–41.
43.
MatsutsuyuJ. (1969). The interest checklist. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 23, 323–328.
44.
McKinnonA.L. (1992). Time use for self-care, productivity, and leisure among elderly Canadians. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 59, 102–110.
45.
MelamedS.MeirE.I. (1995). The benefits of personality-leisure congruence: Evidence and implications. Journal of Leisure Research, 27, 25–40.
46.
MeyerA. (1922). The philosophy of occupation therapy. Archives of Occupational Therapy, 1(1): 1–10.
47.
OsgoodN.J.HoweC.Z. (1984). Psychological aspects of leisure: A life cycle developmental perspective. Society and Leisure, 7(1): 175–195.
48.
PrimeauL.A. (1996). Work and leisure: Transcending the dichotomy. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 50, 569–577.
49.
RavalS. (1989). Gender, leisure and sport: A case study of young people of South Asian descent - A response. Leisure Studies, 8, 237–240.
50.
RaymoreL.A. (1995). Leisure behaviour and the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Leisure Studies, 14, 202–216.
51.
ReidD.G. (1995). Work and leisure in the 21st century: From production to citizenship. Toronto, ON: Wall & Emerson.
52.
RogersJ.C.WeinsteinJ.M.FigoneJ.J. (1978). The interest checklist: An empirical assessment. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 32, 628–630.
53.
RubleeC.B.ShawS.M. (1991). Constraints on the leisure and community participation of immigrant women: Implications for social integration. Society and Leisure, 14(1): 133–150.
54.
SamdahlD.M. (1991). Measuring leisure: Categorical or interval?Journal of Leisure Research, 23, 87–99.
55.
ShalinskyW. (1986). Disabled persons and their environments. Environments, 17(1): 1–8.
56.
ShankJ. W. (1986). An exploration of leisure in the lives of dual career women. Journal of Leisure Research, 18, 300–319.
57.
ShawS.M. (1986). Leisure, recreation or free time? Measuring time usage. Journal of Leisure Research, 18, 177–189.
58.
ShawS.M.BonenA.McCabeJ.F. (1991). Do more constraints mean less leisure? Examining the relationship between constraints and participation. Journal of Leisure Research, 23, 286–300.
59.
SimonS.B.HoweL.W.KirschenbaumH. (1978). A handbook of practical strategies for teachers and students. New York: A & V Visual Library.
60.
SmithN.KielhofnerG.WattsJ. (1986). The relationship between volition, activity pattern and life satisfaction in the elderly. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 40, 278–283.
61.
SoderbackI.HammarlundC. (1993). A leisure-time frame of reference based on a literature analysis. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 8(4): 105–133.
62.
StebbinsR.A. (1992). Amateurs, professionals and serious leisure. Montreal, Qc & Kingston, ON: McGill-Queen's University Press.
63.
StokowskiP.A. (1994). Leisure in society: A network structural perspective. New York: Mansell.
64.
TinsleyH.E.A.HinsonJ.A.TinsleyD.J.HoltM.S. (1993). Attributes of leisure and work experiences. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 40, 447–455.
65.
TinsleyH.E.A.TinsleyD.J. (1986). A theory of the attributes, benefits, and causes of leisure experience. Leisure Sciences, 8(1): 1–45.
