Evidence for your Practice: A concept analysis of creative activities as intervention in occupational therapy

Article: Hansen, B. W., Erlandsson, L. K., & Leufstadius, C. (2021). A concept analysis of creative activities as intervention in occupational therapy. Scandinavian journal of occupational therapy, 28(1), 63-77.

Study Aim: To investigate and clarify the concept of creative activities as intervention (CaI) and to validate the findings in occupational therapy practice.

Key Findings:

• The concept defining creative activities as intervention (CaI) was summarized in five attributes:

  1) Often include elements of arts and/or crafts and involve working with both the body and mind. This complex mind-body interaction stimulates neurons bilaterally in the brain and fosters creativity.

  2) Are experienced as meaningful and are offered in a supported, safe environment. The activity itself may become an occupation, or offer a means of expression of feelings.

  3) Enhance opportunities for self-expression and reflection through creative processes and experiences. This may be particularly useful for facilitating inherent experiences including joy, positive emotions, respite from illness and physical relaxation.

  4) Can help develop skills, enhance occupational performance, and managing everyday life. These activities facilitate problem-solving and providing opportunities to re-establish habits, roles, and to achieve a positive occupational identity.

  5) Can be used individually or in groups and are easily modified with different therapeutic approaches to achieve specific goals in different settings. These activities offer a wide variety of opportunities to be graded or modified to suit a client’s needs and prospective goals. 

Bottom Line for OT: Creative activities as intervention can be used as the therapeutic approach for an over-arching goal, or can be the final goal of the intervention (e.g., creating a piece of artwork). Occupational therapists can integrate creative activities into therapeutic settings, and can further facilitate client-centered goal attainment by facilitating a supported, reflective and structured environment for exploration of creativity and of self. 

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