Occupational balance from the interpersonal perspective: A scoping review

Abstract

ABSTRACTBackground: Occupational balance is an important concept in occupational science but it has mostly been studied from an individual rather than an interpersonal perspective, i.e. the extent to which one individual’s occupational balance affects and is affected by others. The aim of this review was to describe the extent to which occupational balance has been recently considered from an interpersonal perspective.Methods: A scoping review methodology was used. Articles published between 2014 and 2017 that met the following inclusion criteria were included: full articles reporting primary research; published in English; using “occupational balance”, “balance in everyday life”, or “life balance” in the abstract, key words, or title; having an occupational focus on balance; and providing relevant information in relation to the interpersonal perspective.Results: Nine articles were included. The interpersonal perspective was mostly seen in relation to partners or families, showing the positive impact of support and the negative impact of meeting other’s needs in mothers. One article addressed aspects related to organizations and attitudes at the workplace in parents with young children.Conclusion: The findings reveal the importance of considering the occupational balance of both the individual and those around him or her while also showing some of the complexity of occupational balance. The limited number of articles identified indicates that there is still a lack of research using an interpersonal perspective, suggesting that further examination of the interpersonal influence on occupational balance may be a fruitful avenue to pursue.