“It’s not part of my role.” Practices and tensions around parenting occupations in occupational therapy

Abstract

Introduction: Although parenting is a central occupation in adult life, its inclusion within occupational therapy practice in Chile has been scarcely documented. Objective: To explore how occupational therapists in Chile address parenting occupations with adult clients, identifying professional barriers, tensions, and factors associated with varying levels of involvement. Method: A concurrent mixed-methods study based on 83 responses from occupational therapists practicing in Chile, drawn from an international survey conducted in Spanish. Descriptive statistics, chisquare tests, and inductive thematic analysis were applied. Results: While 96.3% of respondents consider parenting part of the occupational therapy professional domain, only 48.8% report frequently addressing these occupations. Just 25.3% have received specific training in parenting-related topics. A statistically significant association was found between such training and the frequency of parenting assessment (χ2 (2) = 6.54, p = .038; Cramer’s V = 0.282). Despite high exposure to clients in parental roles, 39% report never using formal assessment instruments, with informal methods, such as self-reporting, prevailing (54.2%). Qualitative findings revealed tensions related to professional identity and a lack of institutional support were evident, indicating that the approach to parenting often relies more on personal motivation than on formal training or institutional policies. Conclusions: Parenting is a frequently encountered yet under-addressed area in occupational therapy practice. Strengthening its inclusion in training, methodologies, and institutional policies is essential—particularly from an occupational justice and intersectional perspective.