The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure: Does it Address the Cultural Occupations of Ethnic Minorities?

Abstract

This study is the first to examine the cultural sensitivity of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), as reported by occupational therapists who have used it with people from an ethnic minority background. The research was conducted as part of a Master's degree, held in Boston, USA, and funded by the Elizabeth Casson Trust, UK. Twenty-five practising occupational therapists from North America answered an emailed survey and, from this sample, three were interviewed by telephone.

The findings showed that the practitioners perceived the COPM as able to address the cultural occupations of ethnic minorities; however, they felt that including examples of cultural occupations and children's occupations and modifying the rating scales would improve the tool. Two of the three therapists interviewed worked with children and, because of this, there was a focus on children's occupations that was only revealed in the second part of the research.

The nature of the tool, its ability to focus on occupation and the therapist's interview skills were identified as the reasons that the COPM is effective in addressing the cultural occupations of ethnic minorities. Additional research is needed using a larger sample to validate these findings.