title: Living well with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The overall aim of this study was to understand the occupational lives of people with rheumatoid arthritis. Further aims were to identify the creative agency that occurs while performing these occupations and to understand the socio-cultural aspects of engaging in valued occupations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five participants were recruited and various qualitative methods of data collection were engaged, including open interviews, participant observation and gathering occupational diaries. A combination of thematic and narrative analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings uncovered six themes, including; changing occupations; environmental factors count; taking control over occupations; being or becoming normal; people and objects are important; hopes and dreams matter. Subthemes uncovered how individuals constantly adapt and alter their occupations; some radically changing lifestyles for the better, while others work towards regaining occupational control. Meaning of occupations became apparent. People were creative agents. Work and leisure occupations featured strongly. Objects and other individuals were significant factors to individuals when engaging in occupations. People strived to be 'normal' in their occupational worlds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The implication of these results in relation to professional practice for therapists is that attention should be refocused on the occupational narratives of clients, working with the positive, creative aspects that people are already employing and building on these in areas that might not been seen as traditional, such as work and leisure.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Care Studies, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK. squirere@cf.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Squire
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D011788:Quality of Life