The Meaningful Activity Wants and Needs Assessment: A Perspective on Life Balance

Introducing the Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ)

“…The OBQ provides a complimentary perspective to earlier instruments focusing on "amount of time" spent in wanted occupations (27,28) or perceptions of meaningful occupations and need for more Table I meaningful occupations (29). These instruments may be used simultaneously in future studies as together they may provide valuable contributions to the concept of occupational balance.…”

An Argument for a Dynamic Interrelated View of Occupational Experience

“…The subjective dimension of occupation, known as occupational experience, has become a central aspect of understanding life balance, life meaning, and health and wellbeing (Cummins, 2009;Eakman, 2013b;Erlandsson, Eklund, & Persson, 2011;Hasselkus, 2011;Jonsson & Persson, 2006;Matuska & Christiansen, 2008). While there is consensus that only the person who engages in the occupation can truly express what he or she has experienced (Hammell, 2009b;Jonsson, 2008;Persson, Erlandsson, Eklund, & Iwarsson, 2001;Pierce, 2001b;Yerxa et al, 1990), there are several different approaches to capturing experience.…”

A Prospective Longitudinal Study Testing Relationships between Meaningful Activities, Basic Psychological Needs Fulfillment, and Meaning in Life

“…The DASS-21 contains three seven-item subscales validated to measure depression (DASS-D), anxiety and stress respectively (Henry & Crawford, 2005). An indicator of depression was included within the present study due to it having both theoretical and empirical relationships with meaningful activity, basic psychological needs fulfillment and meaning in life (Eakman, 2011(Eakman, , 2013a; King present study, the DASS-D was used as a measure of depression. The DASS-D uses a 4-point scale ranging from 0 (did not apply to me at all) to 3 (applied to me very much or most of the time).…”

“…Studies employing the Engagement in Meaningful Activities Survey (EMAS) have established moderate positive associations between meaningful activity and measures of meaning and purpose in life in older adults with and without disabilities, undergraduate and graduate college students (Eakman, 2011(Eakman, , 2013aEakman et al, 2010a;Eakman, Carlson, & Clark, 2010b;Eakman & Eklund, 2012). Positive associations have also been found amongst meaningful activity and basic psychological needs fulfillment including indicators of autonomy, competence and relatedness (Eakman, 2011(Eakman, , 2013a. Cross-sectional studies using the Occupational Value Assessment with predefined items which assesses occupational value, a construct quite similar to meaningful activity, have also demonstrated positive relationships with measures of well-being including meaning in life (Eakman & Eklund, 2012;Eklund, Erlandsson, & Persson, 2003;Erlandsson, Eklund, & Persson, 2011).…”