Occupational Therapy (OT) is a health profession focused on helping individuals across the lifespan achieve independence in all areas of their lives. Occupational therapists work with people who have injuries, illnesses, or disabilities to overcome barriers that prevent them from participating in daily activities. The unique name reflects the profession’s foundational belief that purposeful activity is fundamental to health and well-being, a concept rooted in a specific historical and philosophical context.
What Does “Occupation” Mean in This Context?
In the context of occupational therapy, the term “occupation” extends far beyond paid employment. It refers to all the daily activities that occupy a person’s time, are meaningful to them, and contribute to their identity. These activities are organized into categories that cover the full spectrum of human life.
This includes basic self-care tasks, known as Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), such as dressing, eating, bathing, and moving around. It also encompasses more complex tasks, or Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), which support daily life, like managing finances, preparing meals, or caring for others. Additionally, an individual’s occupations include productive activities, like work and education, and leisure pursuits, such as hobbies, socializing, and play. The core concept is that engaging in these personalized, goal-directed activities gives life structure, meaning, and purpose.
The Philosophical Foundation of Occupational Therapy
The idea that activity can heal originates in the 18th and 19th centuries with the Moral Treatment movement. This movement, championed by figures like Philippe Pinel in France and William Tuke in England, advocated for a more humane approach to treating individuals with mental illness. Instead of using restraints or isolation, treatment focused on engaging patients in structured, purposeful activities in a respectful and compassionate environment.
Proponents believed that engagement in activities like farming, recreation, or handicrafts could restore mental and physical health by preventing the deterioration caused by idleness. This philosophy was later reinforced by the Arts and Crafts Movement of the late 19th century. This movement emphasized the restorative power of hands-on creation and the connection between the mind and body through productive work.
Establishing the Name in Early Modern Medicine
The philosophical foundations solidified into a formal health profession in the early 20th century, largely in the United States. In this period, a diverse group of architects, nurses, social workers, and physicians began codifying the therapeutic use of activity. George Edward Barton, an architect recovering from tuberculosis and paralysis, is often credited with coining the term “occupational therapy.” In 1917, this group of pioneers, including Barton, psychiatrist William Rush Dunton Jr., and social worker Eleanor Clarke Slagle, founded the National Society for the Promotion of Occupational Therapy.
The growing need for rehabilitation during and after World War I cemented the profession’s title and purpose. The war produced thousands of injured soldiers who needed to regain functional skills and mental health stability. Reconstruction aides, many of whom were early occupational therapists, used activities like weaving, woodworking, and vocational training to help soldiers restore physical function and mental stability. The name “Occupational Therapy” was thus formally adopted to signify a discipline that uses the activities of everyday life to help people recover, adapt, and fully participate in the world.