COMPARING THE ROLES OF COMMUNITY-LIVING PERSONS AND PATIENT POPULATIONS

Objectives. This study compares the occupational role profile of a lar ge sample of community-living persons without disabilities with the pr ofile of a population of patients with psychosocial or physical disabi lities and suggests areas of occupational therapy intervention. Method s. The Role Checklist was used to compare the roles of 1,020 community -living persons without disabilities with the roles of 292 adults with physical lit or psychosocial disabilities. Specifically, community-li ving persons were matched to the entire patient group, a group of pati ents with psychosocial dysfunction, and a group of patients with physi cal dysfunction to compare the groups in terms of their past, present, and future role profiles and the value they assigned to those roles. Results. There were significant differences in the types of roles iden tified In general, the patients identified involvement in fewer presen t roles than the community-living persons. Differences between the two groups also appeared in the identification of future roles and value of those roles. Conclusions. Roles appear to be affected by disability , whether physical or psychosocial in nature. If role participation is seen as part of the occupational functioning of the person, occupatio nal therapy needs to address this area.