An occupational perspective of individuals living with Lyme disease: a qualitative descriptive survey

Purpose
This study aims to explore the changes in occupations experienced by individuals with Lyme Disease, their strategies to re-engage in their meaningful occupations and future aspirations to better understand their occupational participation and engagement.

Design/methodology/approach
This is a qualitative descriptive survey. A form with four questions was distributed online on three social media platforms, achieving 27 full responses. Data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

Findings
Three main themes were generated: 1) Living with the effects of the unknown, 2) Experiencing occupational losses and changes and 3) “I know my limits”: adapting lives.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first study conducted with individuals with Lyme Disease from an occupational perspective. Their study is a pioneer in identifying how the condition impacts individuals’ occupations, revealing their strategies to re-engage in meaningful occupations. Therefore, this study contributes to producing evidence for occupational science and future occupational therapy interventions.

https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.110...