South African clients' perceptions and experiences of adapting to their worker roles after rehabilitation

Abstract

This article is the second of two articles to be published in WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation. The first article (Volume 30) focused on the barriers and facilitators that people with back injuries perceive and experience when returning to work after rehabilitation. The current article explores the adaptation process that these individuals experience when returning to their worker role. Qualitative research methods were used in order to explore the research question. Participants were selected by means of simple random sampling and the data were collected by means of semi-structured focus groups. Some methods of adaptation to the worker role after rehabilitation included: taking control of yourself, developing competency in your worker role and being aware of and utilising your own choice of medical intervention. These results proposed the development of a conceptual model of adaptation that would aid Occupational Therapists in assessing a client with a back injury.