Preliminary Validation of the Assessment of Occupational Functioning with an Alcoholic Population

Abstract

This paper describes preliminary validation of the Assessment of Occupational Function (AOF) (Brollier & Watts, 1985; Watts, Brollier, Bauer, & Schmidt, 1988; Watts, Kielhofner, Bauer, Gregory, & Valentine, 1986), a screening tool based on the model of human occupation (Kielhofner, 1985a), with an alcoholic population. A study of 48 adult alcoholics from two groups, inpatients at an alcoholism rehabilitation center and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) members having at least one year of sobriety, was conducted to examine the AOF's ability to discriminate between the groups. Results indicated that the instrument could distinguish between the occupational functioning of the AA and inpatient groups. Additionally, significant differences between the two groups were found in total AOF scores and in habits, roles, personal causation, and values component scores. The AOF appears to have potential as a valid instrument for use with an alcoholic population. Additional findings of the study suggested that occupational fun...