The Nature of Leisure in Adolescence: A Focus Group Study

Abstract

Despite the recognition of leisure as a key concept in occupational therapy, there is limited evidence of the theoretical development of leisure within the occupational therapy literature. The wider literature makes claims about the relationship between leisure and health; however, little empirical support for the influence of leisure on wellbeing is demonstrated. Furthermore, leisure is identified as a dominant cultural context of adolescents. This study examined adolescents' perceptions of leisure in their daily lives. A sample of 119 students, aged 12 to 18 years and recruited from the general population, participated in a series of focus groups. Content analysis established a functional typology of leisure, which permits the grouping of diverse activities into a small number of comprehensive categories, namely achievement, social and time-out leisure. The affective dimensions of enjoyment and freedom of choice were reported to underpin the concept of leisure. The nature and value of these categories are discussed in the light of their genesis in the views of young people themselves. The implications for occupational therapy are addressed.