Conflicting Definitions of Self-Regulation in Occupational Therapy: A Scoping Review

AIMS: To understand how occupational therapy literature conceptualizes, discusses, describes, implies, and operationalizes self-regulation.

METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and JBI methodology guided the review. MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsychInfo and ERIC databases were searched with studies from 2000 - June 2023 deemed eligible. Two reviewers extracted data with results presented in figurative, tabular, and narrative synthesis. Critical appraisal was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist for systematic reviews. Content analysis of construct descriptions was conducted.

RESULTS: A total 4159 articles were screened for eligibility, and eighty-one assessed at full text. Nine additional studies were retrieved through hand-searching. Sixty-four studies were included and underwent critical appraisal. Content analysis revealed five self-regulation constructs and associated terms in the occupational therapy literature, including self-regulation, executive function, emotion regulation, interoception and social-emotional learning.

CONCLUSIONS: Five distinct self-regulation constructs were analyzed in the occupational therapy literature, with various terms used to describe and define these. Self-regulation and executive function were often described as linked constructs. Similarly, lack of congruence between self-regulation measures, identified interventions and the underlying self-regulation construct was identified.