Scope of practice: Leisure participation in occupational therapy, recreation therapy, and nursing

Poster

Levick, Jessica, Alford, Stewart and Riethmuller, Ayden. 2025. "Scope of practice: Leisure participation in occupational therapy, recreation therapy, and nursing ." Occupational Therapy Australia 31st National Conference and Exhibition 2025 (OTAUS 2025). Adelaide, Australia 25 - 27 Jun 2025 John Wiley & Sons.
Paper/Presentation Title

Scope of practice: Leisure participation in occupational therapy, recreation therapy, and nursing

Presentation TypePoster
AuthorsLevick, Jessica, Alford, Stewart and Riethmuller, Ayden
Journal or Proceedings TitleAustralian Occupational Therapy Journal
Journal Citation75 (S1), pp. 44-44
Number of Pages1
Year2025
PublisherJohn Wiley & Sons
ISSN0045-0766
1440-1630
Web Address (URL) of Paperhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1440-1630.70024
Web Address (URL) of Conference Proceedingshttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14401630/2025/72/S1
Conference/EventOccupational Therapy Australia 31st National Conference and Exhibition 2025 (OTAUS 2025)
Event Details
Occupational Therapy Australia 31st National Conference and Exhibition 2025 (OTAUS 2025)
Parent
Conference on Occupational Therapy Australia
Delivery
In person
Event Date
25 to end of 27 Jun 2025
Event Location
Adelaide, Australia
Event Venue
Adelaide Convention Centre
Event Web Address (URL)
Abstract

Introduction
Historically, leisure activities within mental health environments were delivered by a mental health nurse. However, the use and delivery of leisure interventions have shifted over time towards occupational therapy and more recently recreation therapy. This study aims to bring together the viewpoints of three disciplines, their experiences of using leisure within mental health settings, the challenges of implementing leisure activities and the potential use of leisure within future mental health practice.
Methods
This study explores and systematically analyses the narrative of three mid-career clinicians using a qualitative autoethnography approach, exploring the transdisciplinary experience of leisure and its delivery in mental health inpatient settings.
Results
Findings from this research have identified many common threads within each discipline that further highlight the benefits of leisure within inpatient mental health settings, specifically in developing authentic connections and cultivating the therapeutic alliance. Leisure was seen as an important modality to build rapport and support individual recovery. In contrast, it is also seen that interdisciplinary trust, system risk aversion and professional hierarchies often hinder the implementation of leisure as a recovery tool within Mental Health settings.
Conclusion
Leisure engagement in mental health settings has tremendous recovery benefits for consumers and has a shared value amongst allied health professionals. The delivery of leisure can provide shared meaning, purpose and improved clinical and non-clinical outcomes for the consumers involved. Interdisciplinary teams should be aware of the challenges and support leisure leaders on the ward – regardless of their professional roots.

Contains Sensitive ContentDoes not contain sensitive content
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020420313. Mental health services
420104. Occupational therapy
Public Notes

Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions.

Byline AffiliationsUniversity of Southern Queensland
Kaplan Australia, Australia
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