An occupational perspective on COVID-19

Abstract

Dr Birgit Prodinger The COVID-19 global pandemic urges occupational scientists to examine such world events through an occupational lens. Few other events have been experienced in such a significant way across the globe and, whilst the impact and response has differed in different geographies, we have all experienced – temporarily or continuously – occupational disruption. Reflecting that global impact, the papers in this issue were submitted by authors from Europe, Africa, Australasia, and North America, providing readers with a variety of perspectives. Many educators of occupational science and/or occupational therapy took innovative approaches to their teaching and learning and required their students to examine howCOVID-19 and the public health responses impacted on their lives as students. The first three papers in this issue are examples with students from Turkey and from the US. The students in Turkey examined their time use in relation to occupational balance and temporal life satisfaction during the isolation period in May 2020 (Salar et al., 2022). Students who spent more time in study, socialising, and exercise had better occupational balance and those who spent more time watching TV had lower occupational balance. Socialising and exercise were adapted to occur within the confines of the home. To understand the impact of the pandemic on people’s daily lives, it can be worthwhile to compare what people have done prior to the pandemic. Werner and Jozkowski (2022) did so in examining the time use of US students during in comparison to one year prior to the pandemic. Students used visual representations as well as lists to report on their time use. The study revealed that driving was not reported as an occupation throughout the pandemic at all. Significant changes were revealed in time spent in studying, rest, and sleep. Also studying US university students’ experiences, Krishnagiri and Atler (2022) examined the adaptation of occupations, in particular social occupations, and their interaction with health and well-being in the earlier phase of the pandemic. Next to laying out how students experienced and underwent changes in occupations, the authors provide portraits of three students to illustrate the dynamics of doing, being, becoming, and belonging. Wegner et al. (2022) pivoted a student assignment to explore young adults’ leisure experiences in South Africa during the pandemic. The authors then took a meta-analytic approach to synthesise and thematically analyse the findings from the student’s work. Findings revealed occupational disruption to the lives of the young people during the confinement, particularly leisure and social occupations, however they adapted and developed new leisure occupations. The next group of studies explored impact of the pandemic on people living with chronic