Creative Activities In Occupational Therapy Essay

Overshadowed by the emphasis on scientific models and the development of medicine, the use of creative activities – the traditional core element of occupational therapy profession – has declined in recent decades (Müllersdorf, p. 369). Yet, 80% of the occupational therapists in the United Kingdom still employ creative activities in their practices at least once a week (Müllersdorf, p. 370). Although creative activities were extensively mentioned in the occupational therapy literature, its principal definition has not been identified (Müllersdorf, p. 370). In “What, Why, How – Creative Activities in Occupational Therapy Practice in Sweden” research article, Müllersdorf and Ivarsson aimed to "increase the knowledge of occupational therapy today

Occupational therapy practitioners help people of all ages and abilities to participate in things they want and need. They provide anything that meets clients ' desires and demands. Due to the wide scope of practice, different specialized branches have developed from the original occupational therapy profession, such as art therapy, music therapy and animal-assisted therapy. Therefore, the novice occupational therapists might be ill-equipped with the knowledge of using creative activities as a form of treatment. As mentioned by the researchers in this study, the lack of resources - time, facilitates, and staff might be another reason contributed to the declined usage of creative activities in the occupational therapy treatment (Müllersdorf, p. 373). The short hospital stays and limited health insurance coverage might be another reason that pushes occupational therapy practitioners "towards...rapid solutions" and restricted them from incorporating creative activities to the treatment plan (Müllersdorf, p.