Title: Molloy

Letter:

We agree with Dame Carol Black, work is good for you, but note that she is mistaken (The Time-Off Trap, May 7) in her belief that the notion of work being good for you is not in the education of any healthcare professional either in New Zealand or the UK.

Occupational therapy as a health profession holds the fundamental belief that engagement in occupation, which includes work, contributes to health and well-being. The education of occupational therapists internationally explores the link between occupation and health, which extends beyond work to include all the day-to-day activities people and communities engage in. Of course not all types of work are good for you but for the most part engagement in work has a positive impact.

Occupational therapy students learn about, and consider the dynamic relationship between the person, what they do, and the environment to ensure positive health outcomes for clients. Understanding work and occupation and how they contribute to health comes from a number of evidence-based sources including; occupational science, psychology and anthropology. Readers may also be interested to know that the New Zealand Association of Occupational Therapists is a signatory of the Consensus Statement on the Health Benefits of Work (Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2011) which recognises that engagement in work makes a difference to health.

Dame Black should rest-assured that at least one healthcare profession includes the notion of work being good for you in its education programmes and that is occupational therapy. ‘Occupational therapy is a health care profession based on the knowledge that purposeful activity can promote health and well-being in all aspects of daily life.’ (World Federation of Occupational Therapists).

The value of occupational therapy to support getting New Zealanders back to work must not be underestimated.

Siobhan Molloy
Executive Director
New Zealand Association of Occupational Therapists

Level 9, 85 The Terrace
Wellington

or 102 Hill Road, Belmont, Lower Hutt

Phone: 027 3089 666 or 04 4736510 and

Dr Kirk Reed

Head of Department
Department of Occupational Science and Therapy
AUT University

Private Bag 92006
Auckland 1142
T: +9 921 9156

2B College Road, Northcote, Auckland

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