The Future of Theory in Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is about to meet a slow explosion of possibilities. The nature of work and the nature of societies will change through the greater emphasis to be placed on artificial intelligence (AI), and the crisis of climate change and associated global health issues. These changes will not be overnight but will be seen over the coming years as, for example, we see further innovation and development in AI and the effects of climate change take hold. Old systems and technologies, together with patterns of everyday life, will co-exist with the new ones, for example, an increased emphasis on preventative health. Theoretical development will remain a challenge for occupational therapy in these changing contexts. The sociodemographic conditions that create the demand for the profession may make practice a priority over taking time to explore the consequences of social, technological, and environmental changes and expanding theory. However, the time to begin making occupational therapy theory forward-facing to address these anticipated seismic changes in how humans occupy time and remain healthy is now. We implore the profession’s scholars to embrace this challenge, begin updating theories, and creating new ones that will be effective tools to guide occupational therapy practice in this future world.