ABSTRACT

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the trend of interventions improving participation of occupational therapies’ clients and to provide evidence and implications regarding occupational therapy practice for client participation. Methods: For the main keywords of a database search, “Participation AND Occupational therapy AND Intervention” were used. Using Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar, we systematically examined papers published in journals from January 2005 to April 2015. A total of 12 studies were included in the analysis. Results: The results revealed the level of quality and trend of each study, the types of intervention, the environments provided during the intervention, the diseases of the participants, the applied tools, and dependent variables measured through participation. The quality and quantity of the studies were shown to be improving. In addition, the interventions were mostly provided for chronic conditions in the form of a self-management program in a community setting. The tools were used by the researchers following their research intention. Quality of Life (QoL) through participation was the most frequently measured condition. Conclusion: Through this systematic review, we were able to determine and understand the trends in occupational therapy service for improving participation. In the future, based on this study, research on intervention for improving participation may be further developed.