An Exploration of Addictive Behaviours from an Occupational Perspective

Abstract

Addictive behaviours are known to negatively influence the health and well‐being of both individuals and society, but addiction has seldom been viewed from an occupational perspective. This article is a preliminary step towards developing such a perspective. It considers addiction in relation to occupational risk factors, the nature of occupation, environmental influences, flow, and boredom and concludes that addiction is occupational in nature and can lead to occupational disruption. Based on this discussion, it is proposed that viewing addiction from an occupational perspective may reveal new understanding about ways to maximise the health and capacity of people with an addiction. Research to develop and test an occupational perspective of addiction is advocated.

Key Words:

• Occupation
• Occupational risk factors
• Flow
• Addictive behaviours