An occupational perspective of individuals living with Lyme disease: a qualitative descriptive survey

Purpose This study aims to explore the changes in occupations experienced by individuals with Lyme Disease, their strategies to re-engage in their meaningful occupations and future aspirations to better understand their occupational participation and engagement. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative descriptive survey. A form with four questions was distributed online on three social media platforms, achieving 27 full responses. Data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Findings Three main themes were generated: 1) Living with the effects of the unknown, 2) Experiencing occupational losses and changes and 3) “I know my limits”: adapting lives. Originality/value To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first study conducted with individuals with Lyme Disease from an occupational perspective. Their study is a pioneer in identifying how the condition impacts individuals’ occupations, revealing their strategies to re-engage in meaningful occupations. Therefore, this study contributes to producing evidence for occupational science and future occupational therapy interventions.