O uso do constructo projeto de vida nas produções da terapia ocupacional: uma revisão de literatura

Abstract

The term "life project" has been gaining prominence in both national and international literature, being unanimously recognized as a crucial factor for human development. Various fields of knowledge have devoted efforts to explore and comprehend this construct. Among these fields, in the dimension focused on working with individuals, Occupational Therapy stands out. This work had as its main objective to investigate the use of the "life project" construct in the productions within the field of Occupational Therapy. We aimed to understand how this term has been approached and utilized by occupational therapists in their works and practices, relying on analyses of texts published in the main journals of the field. The methodology adopted for this research consisted of a narrative literature review. Three Brazilian Occupational Therapy journals were selected, namely: "Brazilian Journal of Occupational Therapy," "Brazilian Interinstitutional Journal of Occupational Therapy," and "Occupational Therapy Journal of the University of São Paulo." The analysis period covered the years from 2012 to 2022. The articles selected for analysis were those that contained the term "life project" in their titles, abstracts, and/or keywords. The results of the analysis indicated that occupational therapists have addressed the concept of the life project in their works and applied this concept in their professional practices. However, a scarcity of clear definitions regarding what these professionals understand as a life project was noted. This gap suggests the need for a greater theoretical depth to underpin practices related to this concept. It is concluded that the "life project" construct is relevant to the practice of Occupational Therapy. However, there still exists a lack of a more solid theoretical foundation to support its use. The expectation is that this work will contribute to a broader understanding of the usage of the term "life project" in the field's productions, stimulating discussions about its significance for the profession. Furthermore, it is hoped that more research in this field will be conducted, expanding the knowledge and applicability of this concept in Occupational Therapy.