co-occupation
Occupations that involve two or more individuals and require shared physical and/or mental effort.
Full Definition
Co-occupation refers to occupations that inherently involve two or more people working together toward a common goal, where the occupation cannot be completed by one person alone or loses its essential meaning when performed individually. Examples include dancing with a partner, playing team sports, parenting activities, or collaborative work tasks. This concept recognizes that many meaningful occupations are fundamentally social in nature and require consideration of interpersonal dynamics, communication, and shared responsibility in occupational therapy intervention planning.
Usage
Usage note: Hyphenate as 'co-occupation', not 'cooccupation' or 'co occupation'.
In Context
- "The intervention focused on co-occupations such as meal preparation with family members." — Family therapy treatment plan
- "Co-occupation analysis revealed the interdependent nature of caregiving tasks." — Caregiver support research