Viewpoints of working sandwich generation women and occupational therapists on role balance strategies

Abstract

Occupational therapists need to be cognizant of evidence-based role balance advice and strategies that women with multigenerational caring responsibilities can implement independently or with minimal assistance, as role balance may not be the primary goal during many encounters with this population. Hence, this study aimed to identify the viewpoints on the most helpful role balance strategies for working sandwich generation women, both from their own perspectives and from the perspective of occupational therapists. This was achieved through a Q methodology study, where 54 statements were based on findings from interviews, sandwich generation literature and occupational therapy literature. In total, 31 working sandwich generation women and 42 occupational therapists completed the Q sort through either online or paper administration. The data were analysed using factor analysis with varimax rotation and were interpreted through collaboration with experts in the field. The findings revealed similarities between working sandwich generation women and occupational therapists, particularly in terms of advocating strategies related to sleep, rest and seeking practical assistance from support networks. Differences were also present, with working sandwich generation women viewpoints tending to emphasize strategies related to coping with a busy lifestyle attending to multiple responsibilities. In contrast, occupational therapy viewpoints prioritized strategies related to the occupational therapy process, such as goal setting, activity focused interventions, monitoring progress and facilitating sustainable outcomes.

Keywords:

• Multigenerational caregiving
• Q methodology
• working carer
• working mother
• work–family balance

Acknowledgements

This study was undertaken as the first author’s partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy at Edith Cowan University, for which she received financial support in the form of a scholarship. We would like to thank the expert panel and pilot study participants for their advice, Janina Liebgen for the illustration of the ‘juggling lady’ used in the advertisements, Gal Rose for assistance with data entry, Melissa Scott for training in the data analysis technique and the 73 research participants.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.