Clinical Utility of the Adapted Biopsychosocial Model: An Initial Validation Through Peer Review

Background: The World Health Organization has called on health care providers to adopt a biopsychosocial approach to improve health and well-being and reduce disability. While a variety of holistic models exist in occupational therapy, none are explicitly biopsychosocial and use language consistent with both the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework. Following the recent introduction of the Adapted Biopsychosocial Model (A-BPSM), this study served as an initial step toward validation of this model for use in occupational therapy. Method: A qualitative descriptive design was implemented with a maximum variation purposive sample of 30 participants, including occupational therapy students, clinicians, and educators. The participants were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the utility of the A-BPSM. A thematic analysis approach was used. Results: The participant data supported three major themes relating to the participants’ perceptions of the A-BPSM: clarity, utility, and anticipated competence for application. Conclusion: The findings support an initial step toward validation of the model and serve to offer occupational therapists an adapted biopsychosocial model of care. Recommendations include further evaluation of this model in comparison with existing models, as well as the application of the model to other disciplines